I Loved You All Along
by Ninja School Dropout
Summary: Shadow Stalker was a warrior in the gladiator arena. She was cunning, sneaky, knowledge hungry, and rash. She had never done anything great or awesome. Yet, she had become this great mech's friend, and stood next to him when he was named Optimus Prime.That is where her story begins. For Autobotschic!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Whoo! So this will be pretty short. About for or five chapters. It's For Autobotschic! She wanted a story for her O.C Shadow Stalker, so here it is! **

**Autobotschic- The title I have is pretty horrible, Not kidding at all, so if you have an suggestions for one, I'll happily change the title as soon as I can. (I really don't like the title I have. It's so... Sappy.) If you want me to fix anything or something like that just tell me! I was kind of iffy about some of the stuff I wrote, so if you don't like it tell me and I'll fix it. You won't hurt my feelings, I promise!**

**Disclaimer-I own nothing in this story! Transformers belongs to Hasbro, and Shadow Stalker belongs to Autobotschic!**

* * *

She remembered the day like it was yesterday. She remembered how she snuck into the Iacon library in her best armor. She remembered how the guards refused to let her enter because "she wasn't in the right caste". She remembered how the blue and red mech interrupted and claimed that she was an assistant for him. She even remembered how she yelled at him for a total of three breems because she "could have gotten in all by herself".

She remembered how the mech just took everything she dished out, and when she finished he had calmly asked, "Do you need help finding anything?" She remembered how the friendship started, just like that, how she had grudgingly told him, "I need to find the data pads with crafts."

She remembered how the mech smiled and nodded leading her in the right direction. She also clearly remembered how she took the data pad he offered her, and never brought it back to the Iacon library.

Orion Pax was his name, an archivist for the Iacon library. A kind mech, that would one day become the greatest Prime to ever come online, but to Shadow Stalker, he was more than just an Archivist or a great leader. He was a great friend, the kind of mech you wanted to embrace, and never let go.

In opposition, Shadow Stalker was a warrior in the gladiator arena. She was cunning, sneaky, knowledge hungry, and rash. She had never done anything great or awesome. Yet, she had become this great mech's friend, and stood next to him when he was named Optimus Prime.

That is where her story begins. That is where the gladiator from the pits became the right hand femme of the new Prime, Optimus.

* * *

The black, green, and gold femme stood in the Prime's office looking out the window at the city of Iacon. The city was lit up, showing off the huge buildings, and streets. The doors slid open, and heavy footsteps signaled the arrival of the bot she was waiting on.

"Shadow? What are you doing here?" The huge red and blue bot stared at Shadow Stalker with curiosity. "I thought you would have been in the rec room."

Shadow Stalker turned to the huge bot, and shook her helm. "No, I decided it wouldn't be a good idea tonight. I heard the twins were planning something, and I'm not really in the mood for fun."

The mech nodded, and walked up to his desk. "It is understandable. The Decepticons are getting more aggressive. What started off as small fights, have now risen to huge battles. I'm afraid Megatron will not relent anytime soon."

Shadow Stalker frowned. "I didn't think so. We lost a lot of good mechs in the last battle, Optimus. I'm use to loss and slaughter, but not on the scale we lost during the last battle."

Optimus nodded. "Unfortunately, I believe that will become something bots will get used to. Losing friends and loved ones will become a regular thing. The Decepticons out skill us in areas of combat."

A knock interrupted the intense conversation. Shadow Stalker nodded at Optimus, and he opened the door. A pink femme walked through and bowed to Optimus. "Prime, I am Elita-One. The council sent me here. They said they had informed you beforehand."

Optimus stared at the pink femme in a daze. Shadow Stalker looked between the two. She knew the dazed look Optimus was giving this new femme, Elita-One. It was the same gaze she would stare him with for joors on end without him noticing. The one where she imagined what it would be like to just pull the big mech close and kiss him. "Optimus, she's waiting." Shadow Stalker put her servo on his arm. "Are you alright?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes, I am fine, Shadow. Elita-One, I was aware of your arrival, but I'm afraid I am not very prepared. When I asked for a femme division commander, I did not expect them to send one so fast."

Elita-One smiled. "It is alright."

Shadow Stalker looked up to Optimus. "I can go ask Prowl to set up an officer's room for her real fast, if you want me to."

Optimus nodded. "That would be great. Thank you Shadow."

Shadow Stalker nodded. She didn't want to leave the two alone, but everything would come out for the best. She had faith in what Primus had planned, even if it meant she would not be with her loved one. She quickly left the room and sighed. Prowl's office was just next door, but the ten steps she used to get there were the slowest steps she had used in her life.

She silently knocked on the door, and waited for the prompt mech to allow her in. The door slide open, and she walked in. Prowl, a black and white Praxian built mech, sat at his desk, typing away in a data pad. "What may I do for you, Shadow Stalker?"

"Optimus needs an officer's room prepared for the new femme commander."

Prowl looked up from his data pad. "By when?"

"Probably the next joor or so. The new femme commander arrived today, and Optimus forgot to prepare, he'll say he thought he had more time, but he forgot."

Prowl raised an optic ridge. "You are giving unnecessary information about Optimus."

Shadow Stalker stared at the black and white mech. "I just need an officer's room ready in the next couple of joors."

"You're evading the subject."

"You're the one going off subject." Shadow Stalker shot back to the mech.

Prowl nodded. "There is an 85 percent chance something happened with Optimus."

Shadow Stalker rolled her optics. "Nothing happened. Can you get the room ready or not?"

"I'm having some bots take care of it now."

"Thanks." Shadow Stalker sighed and turned to leave the room.

"I wasn't done." Prowl announced. Shadow Stalker groaned. "The only available officer's room is the one next door to yours. Is that alright?" A mischievous glint went over Prowl's optics.

Shadow Stalker bit her lip component. "Yeah, fine."

"I'm done. You may go."

Shadow Stalker nodded, and left the room, and walked back to Optimus' office. She typed in the password, and walked in. Elita-One stood in front of Optimus' desk as Optimus showed her a data pad. He glanced back at Shadow Stalker and nodded in welcome. "Would you like me to send you the blueprints of the building?"

Elita-One nodded. "Yes, that would be great. A tour actually wouldn't be so bad either."

Optimus smiled. He offered his servo. "I shall personally take you on a tour. Shadow, did you speak to Prowl?"

"Yeah, he said the room will next door to mine, and it should be done in the next couple of joors."

Optimus nodded. "Thank you. I will be back."

Shadow Stalker watched as Elita-One grabbed Optimus' servo, and Optimus led her out of the room. She sighed and leaned against the desk. They did kind of make a cute couple. Optimus and her would look cuter though.

* * *

Optimus sat at his desk slowly working on data pads. Shadow Stalker watched silently as he pushed the data pad away, and sighed. "There's no way I'll be able to finish this by mid orn refuel."

"Do you have something planned?"

"Elita-One and I planned to meet today." Optimus answered.

Elita-One again. That's all the big oaf had been talking about ever since the femme got there. He was obsessed, or worse, he was in love. Shadow Stalker looked at the huge pile of data pads Optimus still had to do. She sighed. "You have to finish all of that?"

Optimus nodded. "Prowl wants it before I refuel. I'll just have to cancel with Elita."

Shadow Stalker flinched at the sad look her best friend gave her. "Don't do that. We can't have our Prime breaking promises. I'll finish it up. I've gotten pretty good at signing your designation over the Stellar cycles."

Optimus gave Shadow Stalker an unsure glance. "Are you sure? It's a lot of work. I couldn't just leave you to do it all."

"What are you talking about? You've done half already!" Shadow Stalker gave him a huge grin. "Get out of here, and go whoo that femme!" She quickly shoved Optimus out of the room.

"Shadow-!" The door shut, and cut the big mech off.

Shadow Stalker sighed and walked over to the desk. She looked at the huge leaning tower of data pads. "I've skipped meals before. No big deal." She sat down in Optimus's chair, and silently began working on the Data pads.

* * *

Shadow Stalker didn't know how long had passed, all she knew was that she was on the last five data pads. Five more data pads, and she was free. A knock from the door rang through the small office. Shadow Stalker pressed the button to open the door. Prowl walked in, and frowned.

"It seems my nightmare has come true. You've offlined Optimus and took his position as Prime."

Shadow Stalker smiled. "I wish. That mech is so in love with Elita- One, it's become sickening."

"I hope you're better at hiding jealousy than that."

"_I_ am! I'm trying to support the big mech, but it gets on my nerves seeing that Elita-One hang all over him." Shadow Stalker grabbed another data pad and forged the Primes signature.

Prowl stared at her. "Are you really forging his signature while I'm right here?"

Shadow Stalker shrugged. "You want the data pads, right?"

Prowl sighed. "I'll never get them if I leave it to Optimus. Carry on."

Shadow Stalker smirked. "Good choice."

"Should I move Elita-One's quarter so you don't have to look at her everyday? I don't want to risk losing an officer because you can not hold in your jealousy."

Shadow Stalker huffed. "You're not funny!"

Prowl nodded. "I wasn't joking. Are those data pads done yet?"

Shadow Stalker signed the last one. "They are now. Which ones are the ones you need?"

"All of them."

"I'll help take them to your office."

Prowl nodded. "Thank you."

"Sideswipe pissed me off, so… He's going to try to short out your quarter's lock."

"I am already aware, and have taken measures to ensure that he cannot get into his."

Shadow Stalker smirked. "Evil mech."

Prowl snorted. "You don't know the half of it."

"Don't think I want to."

* * *

It had been a while since Elita-One came to the base. Shadow Stalker hadn't seen Optimus much. Infact her contact with Optimus could have been almost non-exsistant if it wasn't for all the officers meeting she had been to. Elita-One and Optimus had only gotten closer. Some nights Shadow Stalker couldn't help but notice Elita-One never went back to her quarters.

Shadow Stalker laid on her berth with her music turned up, and reading a data pad. She slung the data pad to the ground and sighed. "I hate that story! Love never turns out like that. Love is beast that tears you apart from the inside out!"

A knock echoed through her room. "I don't wanna answer it. Maybe if I just ignore them, they'll go away."

The knocking continued. For a while Shadow Stalker didn't think it would stop. "Slag, they can go on forever."

The knocks finally stopped, and footsteps signaled the bot moving on. Shadow Stalker rolled over on her berth. Optimus kept coming to mind. The mech was perfect in almost every way. Too gentle, but that was fine. It complimented her violent nature.

Shadow Stalker sighed before she got off of her berth. She stretched before she fully stood up and walked to her door. Her door opened and she jumped when she saw Elita-One sitting on the ground outside her room. "Elita-One?"

Elita-One looked up. "Oh, Shadow Stalker. You were in there." Elita-One stood up. "I knocked earlier, but nobody answered."

"Is something wrong?" Shadow Stalker's door closed as she walked further out of the room.

"Somebody, well, they uh kind of.." Shadow Stalker made a motion with her hands to hurry up. Elita-One sighed. "Somebody changed the key to my room. I can't get in. I tried to contact somebody, but nobody would answer."

Shadow Stalker smirked. She pulled out a data pad and wrote down some numbers. "This is my Comm Frequency. Try to Comm me."

Elita-One took the data pad, and adjusted her communicator. Her optics dimmed. Shadow Stalker waited a moment and then laughed. "Wow, Sides got you good. I can fix your door, but you might want to go see Ratchet for him to fix your comm. I'm not getting anything from you."

Elita-One sighed. "Alright."

"Don't worry. I'll take care of Sides for you, too." Shadow Stalker waved as Elita-One walked down the hall.

::Shadow to Sides::

::Sup?::

::Good job.::

::Thanks::

Shadow Stalker laughed as she typed in her officer bypass code, and reset Elita-One's access code. "There." Shadow Stalker walked down the hallway and stopped when she spotted Elita-One with Optimus. She pressed herself against the wall, and listened from around the corner.

"Optimus, I really don't know how to answer."

"You don't have to. Not yet anyways." Optimus' voice rang through the hall. "You have plenty of time. You're still getting use to the base. I just wanted to ask before you went to Praxus."

She heard a little bit of a shuffle. Too light to be Optimus, so it must have been Elita-One. "I-I'll think about it. I'll give you my answer as soon as I possibly can."

"Thank you, Elita. I love you so much."

Shadow Stalker already knew, but to hear it from Optimus in reality crushed her spark a little. It was like the little hope she had left was gone. Shadow stalker shook her helm. She would have to support Optimus through this. If she didn't she would be no better than a Decepticon working it's way through Autobot's ranks.

Autobots would grow close to the mech, but in all reality. The mech would just be deceiving Autobots into thinking he was a good mech he really wasn't. She couldn't deceive Optimus. She would never be able to do that.

Shadow Stalker heard the pair footsteps walk away. She slid down the wall, and sat there for a moment. She could do one of two things. Tell Optimus she didn't like Elita-One, or torture him with this new found information.

Shadow Stalker smirked. She stood up, and pulled herself together pretty quickly. She forced a smile on her face, and continued down the hall.

* * *

Shadow Stalker walked into Optimus' office. Optimus sat at his desk and sighed. "Shadow."

"Optimus." Shadow Stalker smiled. "I heard a nice bit of information today."

Optimus rose an optic ridge. "Really?"

"Yep! I heard that a certain pink femme, and a certain red and blue mech were having a little fun together."

Optimus laughed. "I can only assume you are the only one who know of this."

"You can assume right. For now anyways."

Optimus smiled. "Elita and I have been going out for a while. I asked her to bond with me this morning."

Shadow Stalker froze. This was bad. Way worse than what she thought in the hallway earlier in the day. "You asked her bond with you?"

"I did."

Shadow Stalker forced a big smile on her face. "Congrats! I mean seriously! My little Opi is all grown up now!"

Optimus smiled. "She hasn't answered yet. She getting read for a mission in Praxus. There has been a huge amount of Decepticon activity there. I can't help but feel worried."

"Well, if my future bonded was going to place with huge amounts of Decepticon activity, I would feel worried too."

"She hasn't answered yet. She might say no." Optimus looked up to Shadow Stalker. "I would not be surprised if she did say no. It wouldn't be easy to be the bonded of a Prime."

Shadow Stalker frowned. "You have to have faith in yourself, Optimus! If I'm not here to have faith in you then, who knows what might happen to this army! You might just decide, 'Oh, we're just going to die anyway, why fight?'."

Optimus chuckled. "I can assure you, that will never happen."

Shadow Stalker smiled. "Yeah, your right. I would never not be here for you."

Optimus was silent a moment before a smile spread onto his face. "Thank you Shadow. That means a lot."

Shadow Stalker smiled. "You're welcome. Well, I have to go. See you tomorrow! Comm me when you get an answer, alright?"

Optimus nodded. "I will."

* * *

"Can you believe this? I have followed that mech to end of this fragging universe, and this is how he thanks me!"

"Paint."

Shadow Stalker passed the paint. "Not to mention I'm even going to support him through this too! What the pit am I thinking?"

"Bucket."

Shadow Stalker passed the bucket. "I mean, I could have chose any mech in the world, but I have to choose the most dense, unbelievably idiotic mech on Cyberton!"

"Rope."

Shadow Stalker looked around. "There is no rope."

Sideswipe peeked out from the entrance of the room. "What do you mean 'no rope.'?"

"What does it sound like, Idiot. You didn't hand me rope!"

"Oh! I forgot. I didn't trust you with rope, so I put it in my subspace. Carry on." Sideswipe dug around in his Subspace pulled out a huge cable.

Shadow Stalker sighed. "Where was I?"

"Unbelievably idiotic mech on Cybertron." Sideswipe answered as he tied the cable onto the door.

Shadow Stalker nodded. "Right! But you wanna know something. I don't think I'd change a fragging thing about what I've done."

"Glitter."

Shadow Stalker passed a bucket of glitter. "Are you sure this is a smart thing to do?"

"Nope."

"Do you have an escape plan?"

"Nope."

"Alright then. Are you done setting it up?"

"Yep."

"So, how about some advice."

"I only said I'd listen to you. I didn't say I'd advise you." Sideswipe admired his work.

Shadow Stalker nodded. "Alright. Fair enough."

::Shadow to Ironhide::

::What?::

::Where are you right now?::

::Shootin' range::

::Sideswipe is currently setting up paint and glitter outside your room. Fair warning::

::That fraggin' creation of a glitch!::

::Bye Hide:: Shadow Stalker ended the Comm. "Goodbye Sideswipe."

"I though Goodbye was only used when you never expected to see a bot again?"

"It is." Shadow Stalker smiled as she heard stomping coming down the hall.

Sideswipes mouth plates fell open. "Fragging glitch!" He shouted looking around for an escape route. Both were blocked one by a rampaging Ironhide, and the other by a pissed off femme. Great.

* * *

"Can you believe he asked the femme to bond with him?"

Sideswipe groaned from his place on the medical berth. "Shut up!"

* * *

Shadow Stalker stared down at her latest mission. "You're sending me to Praxus with Elita-One?"

Optimus nodded. "I want you to protect her. She said yes to bonding with me."

Shadow Stalker swallowed all the horrible feelings that washed over her. "I see. Well, what did I tell you Optimus. She couldn't resist you. Who wouldn't want to be your bonded?" She laughed for a moment before she fell silent. "I'll do my best protecting her! No harm will come while she is with me!"

Optimus smiled. "Thank you, Shadow. I wouldn't trust anybody else with this task."

Shadow Stalker flashed a huge grin. "No problem! I'm going to ready for tomorrow. See ya!"

Optimus waved as Shadow Stalker ran out of the room.

Shadow Stalker pushed herself against the wall next to Optimus' door. "Idiot." She whispered before walked off.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I have the undying urge to write about Skywarp... I don't know why, but I really do! It's annoying almost. Almost... Did I mention that already started writing the story? No? Well I have. It may never see the light of Fanfiction either.**

**I just had to take senior pictures, and the photographer, and I had an awkward moment. We took the photos in the auditorium, and she took me to the dressing rooms, and she looked at me, and showed me this drape thing that goes to right below my boobies (XD I love that word.) And she stares me in the eyes, and said. "The white clip is the back, I need you to take off your shirt."**

**I stared at her with wide eyes, and she started laughing. "I forgot to say the end of that sentence. I need you to take off the top part of your shirt. You can still wear the tank top under it. I just need for the straps not to show." I was about to leave that place, and never go back...**

**REVIEWS!**

**Foresthunter: Thank you! Everybody so far has said something like that. I never relized how many Elita-One haters there were...**

**NinjaChipmunk: I love your username by the way! Thank you! I'm glad you like it! **

**Kuro Rotasu: I'm planning on continuing it the end! Thank you!**

**Minimus Prime: I'm trying to update it as fast as I can, but I don't want to rush it since I'm writing it for Autobotschic. I'm glad you love it! It's actually pretty hard for me to write since I haven't really been in a situation like that. (I've had one boyfriend in my 18 year old life. We broke up this summer after a year. It was a mutual thing since we were pretty much just best friends.)**

**Autobotschic: I'm REALLY glad you like it! Psh! They don't need sleep anyways! By the way, I'm serious, if there is anything you want me to change, I will! **

* * *

Shadow Stalker silently waited outside the ship that was supposed to take the group of Autobots to Praxus. Neither Elita-One or Optimus had showed up. They were probably busy doing Primus knows what in Optimus' quarters. Finally Elita-One stepped around the corner. Optimus follwed close behind carrying a stack of data pads.

Optimus nodded to the four Autobots. "I am sorry for the wait."

Shadow Stalker rolled her optics. "Are those the files we need to read?"

Optimus nodded. "Yes. These are the files on recent Decepticon activity in Praxus. It's important that you read them before you land. This is your commanding officer on this mission, Elita-One."

Elita-One stepped forward. "I am Elita-One, and as Optimus said, I will be leading you." Shadow Stalker barely held in a glare as Elita-One talked. "We will be entering into Praxus as civilians, and will eliminate the enemies."

Shadow Stalker watched Elita-One carefully. Elita-One was pretty confident, opposed to Optimus who sometimes couldn't find the confidence to follow through with his decision. She was definitely a leader. A take charge kind of femme. Shadow Stalker could see why the council chose her.

"We will not be taking prisoners. From our informants, these Decepticons have nothing to offer us. Is that clear?" Heads were bobbing up and down in nods as Autbots showed their understanding. "Then what are you waiting on? Get on the ship."

Shadow Stalker slowly climbed up into the ship along with the other four Autbots. Including Elita-One and Shadow Stalker, there were six Autobots. A small group, but Optimus didn't want to risk them getting caught.

Shadow Stalker sat down on a chair, and Elita-One sat next her. Elita-One offered her a smile. "Thanks for coming along. I told Optimus he didn't have to send anybody to watch after me, but he insisted."

Shadow Stalker kept her face straight. No smile was offered in return, but no frown either. "It's fine. Optimus worries a lot. He would have sent me in your place if he could have, but I'm not high enough in rank."

Elita-One paused. "I don't think Optimus sees you as an expendable resource."

Shadow Stalker laughed. "I didn't mean it like that. This mission is hardly a suicide mission. If you think that he would send me to my death just so you can live, you would be wrong."

Elita-One seemed taken aback. "I didn't think that."

"He isn't the kind of mech to send anybody to their death on purpose. He knows no matter what bot's lives will be lost. He can't prevent them all, but he will be willing to try."

Elita-One looked down. "I know. That's why I like him so much. He is a one of a kind mech. When he asked me to bond with him, I thought he was joking, I though there was no way a mech like that would want to bond with me. He was serious though. I love him, so I told him that I would bond with him. "

Shadow Stalker bit her lip. Now the femme was just rubbing it in her faceplates! "I suppose I should congratulate you two. I already told Optimus, but I haven't had a chance to tell you."

Elita-One smiled. "Thank you! I hope we can be as good of friends as you and Optimus are."

Shadow Stalker frowned. "I'm going to be honest with you. I highly doubt we'll be friends." Shadow Stalker stood up, and walked away to another part of ship. Leaving Elita-One sitting there dumb founded.

* * *

Shadow Stalker laughed as she threw down her data pad. The mech next to her, Fledge, and her had been playing a game. It was called Glyphs. The object of the game was to make a sentence with all the previously used glyphs plus one of your choice. The first glyph was chosen at random.

Fledge smiled as he watched Shadow Stalker write down her sentence. Shadow Stalker quickly wrote her sentence and passed the data pad over to Fledge. Fledge's optics brightened. "You dirty glitch!"

Shadow Stalker smiled. "Hey, you started the whole dirty thing."

Fledge smiled. "Alright, you win. I can't do that. I'm too innocent."

Shadow Stalker laughed. "Innocent my aft."

Fledge shrugged. "Whatever, I don't care what you think."

Shadow Stalker smiled. "I like you."

Fledge smirked. "Thank you. You're not so bad yourself."

Shadow Stalker laughed. "Nice." The ship began to bump around. The small group of bots began looking around.

Elita-One walked into the room. "The ship is being attacked. They know Autobots are in here."

"Are you just going to let them attack a ship that has civilians in it also?" Shadow Stalker glared.

Elita-One looked over to her. "I'm not _letting_ them do anything! We aren't much use against seekers!"

"You aren't much use then, are you?" Shadow Stalker shoved past Elita- One. "Will somebody get me the biggest fragging gun they can find?" She yelled.

"You can't just shoot them!" Elita- One yelled.

"Why not? They already know we're here." Shadow Stalker looked around. "I asked for a gun!"

"You aren't getting one!" Elita- One yelled glaring at the other femme.

Shadow Stalker glared back. "I don't need one." Shadow Stalker walked up to the door.

"You aren't leaving the ship, Shadow!"

Shadow Stalker quickly turned to Elita- One. "Who told you that you could call me that?"

"Optimus does."

"Do you look like Optimus? Do you talk like Optimus? Are you Optimus?" Shadow Stalker turned back tot the door, and began typing in a code. She pressed enter, and waited on the door to open, but it never did.

Elita- One stood there, arms crossed, and a smug look on her face. "I changed the code."

Shadow Stalker glared at the femme. "You are unbelievable. You're just going to let all the innocent people on this aircraft offline because you don't want to fight?"

"Shadow Stalker, that's-"

"No, I don't want to hear it!" Shadow Stalker walked up to Elita- One and glared. "I can't believe Optimus chose a murderer like you."

Elita-One stood silent for a moment. She stared down at the ground. Her fists were clinched. Shadow Stalker gave her one last glance before walking away, and throwing herself on the bench. Elita-One finally turned around. "Look who's talking! You're just going to sit down! You're not even going to try to open the door again! You're no better than me!"

"I've offlined many mechs before. They never even did anything to me. You're the one who sunk down to my level. Not the other way around." Shadow Stalker turned her helm away from Elita-One. "I guess we just wait until the ship goes down, huh?"

"The ship has automatic torrents. We will make it to the landing location before the ship fails us. The decepticons won't know who the Autobots are."

"So, they'll offline every bot on this ship."

Elita-One glared. "You can't think positive for one klik, can you?"

"I don't think positive. I think realistically." Explosions rocked the ship. Shadow Stalker cursed silently as she crossed her servos. "Fragging glitch."

"I heard that!"

"Did I sound like I was trying to hide it from you?"

Elita-One huffed as she rolled her optics.

* * *

As much as every sensor in Shadow Stalker's frame hated to admit it, Elita-One was right. The Decepticons didn't bother the ship after it landed. As all the bots got out of the ship the Decepticons were already gone. Elita-One shot a glance at Shadow Stalker who promptly ignored it.

::Elita-One to Autobots. We'll split up for now. I'll send coordinates later. We'll meet up at the coordinates as soon as the orn begins to end. Elita-One out::

Shadow Stalker sighed as she walked off into the city. She silently drifted through the city. The Decepticons hadn't taken over Praxus completely, but you could see where they have been. Shops were destroyed. Crystal trees that used to grace the corners of the roads were shattered and smashed. The enforcers that Praxus was known for, almost as much as their education center, and crystal garden, were nowhere to be seen. The place was close to ruins.

Shadow Stalker crossed the road as she received a ping from Elita-One. The femme wanted to meet at an energon bar located downtown, relatively unknown to the population, and most likely the Decepticons. At least Shadow Stalker would be able to get a cube of highgrade while she was there.

Shadow Stalker watched a grey and red youngling walk down the street, a huge smile was on his face as he sped up and began to run towards a smiling femme. Shadow Stalker smiled. A family. Her smile fell. It wouldn't last. The femme would grow tired of the younglings actings, and probably abandon it somewhere. The youngling would be forced to grow up all alone, and on the streets. Nobody would bother helping him. They would just walk past. He would be forced to do thing he never wanted to do. He be forced to offli- _STOP!_

Shadow Stalker shook her helm. That youngling was not her! Shadow looked away from where the youngling once was, and continued walking. She wanted to see the gardens. What did the dirty Decepticons feel the urge to do to famous gardens of Praxus? They probably destroyed it. They probably smashed it to pieces in one of their overenergized parties. They were almost as idiotic as Elita-One. Though, they were probably a bit smarter.

* * *

To Shadow Stalker's surprise, the gardens were untouched. The gorgeous crystal trees grew huge, and beautiful. They even brought a huge smile onto Shadow Stalker's faceplates. Well, at least until the alarm for meeting Elita-One went off in her central hub. She could always skip out. Tell Elita-One she got lost.

No. She couldn't do that. She promised Optimus she would watch after the annoying femme. A small smile grew across Shadow Stalkers face. A promise to Optimus was much more important to her than the dislike she felt for Elita-One.

* * *

Shadow Stalker walked into the bar, and saw the Autobots sitting in a little group. Fledge waved her over, but She ignored him, opting for the cube of highgrade before having to deal with Elita-One. By the time Elita-One got on her nerves, the highgrade would kick in.

Shadow Stalker walked up to the bar, and smiled at the bar tender. "A cube of your strongest. I'm going to need it."

The mech laughed. "Had a bad orn?"

"No, but I have to deal with somebody I don't like, and I would enjoy having something before to calm my nerves. Usually when I get overcharged I stay in the mood I began in. So since I'm happy now, I'll be happy later."

"Just don't offline anybody, femme." The mech gave her smile before passing her a cube.

"No promises." Shadow Stalker took the cube, and walked over to the table. She barely had a chance to take a sip before Elita-One took the cube.

"You're on duty! You can't have any highgrade!"

Shadow Stalker stared at her servo where the cube of highgrade was before. "We are in a bar! I can drink if I pay for it!"

"Did you pay for it?"

"Not yet!"

"Then you can't drink it!"

"Femme! I hope you offline in a horrible way!"

Elita-One gave an insulted huff. "Do you treat all officers that way?"

"Only when they take my highgrade!"

"What would Optimus say?"

Oh pit no. She was not bringing Optimus into this. "He'd say give me the fragging highgrade!"

"No!"

Fledge stood up and got between the femmes. He quickly grabbed the cube from Elita-One and drank it in one gulp. "Okay! How about we get on with this meeting now!" He shot the two a smile before sitting back down.

Shadow Stalker stared at the mech with a wide optics. "You're paying for that, right?"

"Yeah, sure."

Elita-One sighed as shadow Stalker slowly sat down. "What are we going to do?"

"Find the Decepticons, and take them out." Shadow Stalker shrugged.

"We can't do that! We don't know where, or who, the Decepticons are."

"We have to save Praxus some how! Besides, you're the one who said we are taking no prisoners. The only other option is to either evacuate Praxus, or offline the creations of glitches! " Shadow Stalker shot back.

Fledge groaned. "I think that highgrade is getting to me!"

Aquaburner, a blue mech started rubbing Fledge's back. "Listen, we can't just evacuate the whole city of Praxus. The Decepticons would know we're here, and launch there own attack. You saw what they did when they thought we were on the plane."

Elita-One sighed. "Then what are we going to do. We don't know how many Decepticons are actually here. We don't know which Deceptions are here, and we don't know where they are."

The six Autobots sighed at once. The mission was beginning to sound impossible. Shadow Stalker sat up. "What about the informants?"

"What about them?" Elita-One moaned.

"We can use them to locate the Decepticons."

"Sure we could, if the informants knew where they were." Elita-One spat. "They barely found out about this."

Shadow Stalker leaned back again. "Let's talk scenarios. What do we do if the Decepticons find us here?"

"Fight them." Elita-One answered.

Metal Racer, a silver mech chuckled. "Who says they don't know that we're here already? They knew we were on the ship. They have to know we're here. They could have Soundwave or somebody watching all the bots who came out of that ship."

Elita-One nodded. "That's true. I didn't think about that." She admitted. "How long do you guys think we have before they start planning an attack?"

"Who said they haven't already began planning?" Shadow Stalker cut in. "They could have began planning as soon as that ship hit the ground. We can't put anything past them. If you think it, they probably have too."

A Green and Red mech, Wheelrider, sat still for a minute. "Don't they have to know where we are before they start to plan their attack?"

The group was silent. Shadow Stalker stared down at the table. "Who says they don't?"

Elita-One stood up. "We have be careful. Ask residents about the Decepticons. Get descriptions of what they look like, and we'll run them against the know Decepticons. We'll meet here tomorrow." She slowly walked away, and out of the bar.

Shadow Stalker looked at the remaining four mechs. "So, you guys want some highgrade?"

Fledge gave her a surprised look. "Do I look like I want anymore?"

"Yes."

Fledge groaned and let his helm fall against the table. "No."

Shadow Stalker laughed. "How about we just go, and get you some pain killers?"

"Yes!"

"After I get some highgrade."

"No!"

"Oh, come on! You drank mine!" Shadow Stalker smiled at the bot.

Aquaburner smiled. "You know what. I'll drink some with you."

"Yeah!" Shadow Stalker smiled. "Anyone else?" The others shook their helms. Shadow Stalker smiled. "Alright. You guys can take that mech somewhere to get some recharge, right?"

Metal Racer nodded. "Leave it to us."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey you guys! XD (inside joke) Anyways, I'm sorry! It took forever for me to get around to writing. I have a collab paper in my College class, but everybody in my group is from other schools, and they are pushing all the work off onto me. Damn retards. (That was uncalled for.) I have a rough draft due tonight by midnight, and the only good thing about this is that it's an essay about transformers. My team pisses me off! They are no help at all! I am now going to eat fattening foods, sodas, and the occasional apple while I mope about under the pressure of english 1301.**

**Sorry I didn't have a chance to edit this, so I apologize for all the errors, I know they are there. I'll come back and revise, as soon as all this stress just disappears...**

**REVIEWS**

**Premagna (from ch 1): Thank you! I'll try my best! School is quite literally killing me.**

**Anonymous BW FG : I know right! Gosh! Yep that was one awkward woman. She was weird. Thank Primus I'm not the only one XD My friend said she would have just ripped her shirt off, but then again, she's also a strange one... Puppy eyes have no effect on m... Scrap... NO STOP! It's killing me! **

**Anonymous BW FG (from chapter 1): I felt sorry for her too, and I was the writing it!**

**Autobotschic: YAY! I'm glad it cheered you up! Oh, quit, you're going to make my ego explode! **

**A. Scout Star: When I first read your review at like 2 A.M I was like "Oh shiz She thinks I'm copying one of he stories!" And then I read it slowly to myself and I was like "Oh." XD I'm a spazz. Anyways, I will! **

**A. Scout Star (from chapter 1): Thank you!**

**Bee4ever: =D since I started writing this for Autobotschic I've felt the urge to stick those two in a closet together, and let them fight it out, but that would make for a sucky story...**

**Minimus Prime: Naw, it's cool, we're besties. He's still my Jazz XD, he's just going after My Bee now. It wouldn't have worked out anyways he lived in a different state now. Yes you may! That glitch! That's not very friendly. NUKE HER! NUKE HER! NUKE HER! XD**

* * *

Shadow Stalker sat in the gardens, and smiled as the wind blew, and the crystals made the most lovely of sounds. "Nice, huh?"

Shadow Stalker sneered over to the pink femme who ruined her whole day just by showing up. "Your voice ruined it."

Elita-One frowned. "What did I do to get you to hate me so much?"

"It doesn't matter." Shadow Stalker stood up from the bench she was on.

Elita- One blocked her path out of the garden. "It does matter. You and Optimus get along great! Why can't we get along? Are you scared I'm going to take away your friend?" Shadow Stalker growled. "Are you upset that Optimus might completely ignore you after we bond?"

"Stop trying to be a fragging psychologist!" Shadow Stalker snapped. "You're not. You have no right to start to assume why we can't be friends!"

"I have every right! It concerns me as much as it concerns you! Why do you hate me so much?"

Shadow Stalker clenched her denta. "You want to know why?" She mumbled.

Elita-One straighted up. "Why?"

"Forget it." Shadow Stalker looked away. "You're right. I hate you because you're going to take away from friend. Happy?"

"No." Elita-One mumbled. She stepped aside. "But that's the best I'm going to get."

"Slagging straight." Shadow Stalker walked past Elita- One as quickly as she could.

"Oh, and Shadow Stalker," Elita-One called, "Don't forget to ask around about the Decepticons."

Shadow Stalker growled. "I know what I have to do!"

* * *

"Oh I'll ask around alright! Stupid glitch!" Shadow Stalker felt a force hit her, and bound off. "Huh?" She glanced down to see the youngling she had spotted yesterday. He sat on the ground rubbing his aft. "Oh, you okay?"

The youngling smiled. "I'm okay!" His optics widened as he looked around him. "No! I dropped it! The gift!"

Shadow Stalker bent down. "What was it?"

"I just bought it for my carrier! Today is my creators anniversary! I rasised up enough money to buy them a gift."

"What was it?" Shadow Stalker repeated her question. "there were two pairs of syncing crystals."

Shadow Stalker thought for a moment. She remember reading about those. "Those are the crystals where it's said if you give somebody the matching crystal they ares supposed to stay with you forever, right?"

The youngling nodded. "Yeah. They are sold at the shrine, but they're super expensive, and I just lost my pairs."

Shadow Stalker helped the youngling up. "I'll get replacements. I'm the reason you lost them in the first place."

The youngling quickly shook his helm. "No! I can't ask that!"

"You didn't ask. I offered. It's my fault, and I'll replace them."

"No!"

Shadow Stalker growled, and lifted the youngling off the ground, and threw him over her shoulder. "I'll do it anyways!" She narrowed her optics, and began walking up the road following signs that pointed her in the direction of the shrine.

"Put me down!"

"No!"

"I'll scream!"

"I'll scream louder!"

The youngling went silent. "Why would you scream?"

"Because you screamed." Shadow Stalker smiled as the shrine appeared in her sights.

"You really don't have to buy replacements."

"I was coming here anyways."

"What for?"

"I want to know about the Decepticons that are supposed to be crawling around."

"Are you an Autobot?" The youngling yelled in excitement.

"Shut up!"

"Oops, sorry. Carrier said the Autobots would come and help us! There are some meanies that are making my sire let them stay!"

"At your unit?"

"Yeah."

"Are they going to be there when you give your creators the stone?"

"I don't know."

"What's your designation?"

"I'm Bluestreak. What about you?"

"Shadow Stalker." Shadow Stalker put Bluestreak down, and held his servo as she stepped into the shrine.

"Welcome to the Praxus shrine!" A femme smiled from behind a counter.

"Hey." Shadow Stalker greeted. "I need two sets of those special crystals."

"Hmm. Did you just come in here, youngling?"

Bluestreak giggled awkwardly. "I lost them."

"Already?"

"I bumped into him, and he dropped them. I'm buying replacements. You know, on second thought. Make that three sets."

The femme smiled. "Alright! Any certain colors?"

"Blue and purple!" Bluestreak smiled.

"Red." Shadow Stalker answered.

The femme laughed as she walked back, and grabbed the stones. "The total price is seventy eight credits."

Shadow Stalker pulled out a card and passed it to the femme. "That should cover it."

The femme scanned the card, and nodded. "Your remaining balance is fifty-three thousand credits even."

Bluestreaks optics widened. "You're rich!"

Shadow Stalker gathered the crystals, and smiled. "I don't buy stuff that often. This from vorns and vorns of saving."

Bluestreak smiled. "Thank you for replacing the crystals!"

Shadow Stalker smiled as she passed the purple and blue stones to Bluestreak. "You're welcome. I'll try to help your creators get rid of the Decepticons. Don't tell anybody there are Autobots here though, alright?"

Bluestreak nodded. "Okay!"

Shadow Stalker laughed as Bluestreak ran down the road towards where ever he lived.

* * *

Shadow Stalker walked into the bar the group had met in the night before. She walked up to the counter, and looked around for the rest of the Autobots. All was clear. The mech at the counter smirked. "I'm guessing you want the same as yesterday?"

"Hit me, bartender!"

The mech laughed, as he pulled out a cube. "Your little friends aren't here yet."

"Most of them aren't my friends. They are bots from work. It's a new requirement for all the leaders to get together, and compare items on their agendas."

"Sounds awful."

"Oh, it is." Shadow Stalker gulped down the contents of the cube. "I didn't have that if anybot asks." She passed her card over to the mech.

"Of course you didn't. You want to know the total on your card?"

"Naw."

"Most don't."

Shadow Stalker laughed. "Smartaft, huh?"

"I try. Your work mates are here."

Shadow Stalker turned around, and, just as the mech had said, Elita-One and the rest of the group walked into the bar. "So they are." She stood up, and walked over to the group. "I have news."

Elita-One nodded, and led the group over to an empty table. As soon as everybody was seated She nodded to Shadow Stalker. "What's the news?"

"I ran into the youngling, and he says that there are Decepticons that forced their way into his unit."

"Do you know where this youngling lives?" Fledge asked.

"Scrap! I knew I forgot something!"

"Figures you wouldn't get the address." Aquaburner mumbled.

"Hey! I was more focused on trying to replace something the youngling lost because of me!"

Metal Racer smiled. "Aw! Shadow Stalker has a soft side!"

"I will twist your audials!"

"Never mind."

Shadow Stalker huffed. "I'll find the kid tomorrow. Then we can go in, and take out the Decepticons."

"We can't just 'take out' the Decepticons in front of the youngling!" Elita- One growled.

"Stop acting like you have morals."

"I'm not acting, I actually have them, unlike another femme at this table!"

Shadow Stalker growled. "You can't have morals where I come from!"

"Get over yourself. I haven't done a slagging thing to you!"

"I get a feeling we're missing something." Wheelrider mumbled.

"You didn't have to do anything! I hate you, and that is that!" Shadow Stalker stood up from the table, and stomped away.

"Get back here!" Elita- One yelled after her. "I'm not done!"

"I am." Shadow Stalker stomped out of the bar, and down the street, only to feel the familiar sensation of a force ramming into her. "What the frag is wrong with you Praxi- Bluestreak?"

"Shadow! I need help!" The little mech lifted himself up off the ground while crying. "Th-the Decepticons!"

Shadow Stalker frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Th- they're planning stuff! I heard them t-talking!"

"About what? It's important Bluestreak!"

"Th-they were talking about, about bombs, and stuff!"

Shadow Stalker glanced back to the bar. "Did you hear anything else? A day, or a time?"

"N-no. They tried to chase me, but I used a secret exit. What about my creators? What if they got them."

"I'm not going to lie to you Bluestreak. There's a huge chance the Decepticons got to your creators. They may not be offline, but the Decepticons, are no pushovers."

"Will they be o-okay?"

"I don't know." Shadow Stalker sighed. This was bad. "Did they say what kind of bombs?"

"No."

"Slag." Shadow Stalker threw Bluestreak over her shoulder, and walked back into the bar.

Shadow Stalker's optics met Elita-One's as the pink femme stood up from her seat. "You didn't." She mumbled.

"Follow me." Shadow Stalker walked back out of the bar, and waited for the rest of the team to walk out.

Elita-One looked furious. "What the frag! Did you kidnap this youngling?"

"What kind of bot do you think I am! This is Bluestreak. The youngling I was just talking about. He said he heard the Decepticons talking about a bomb."

Elita-One froze. "A bomb?"

Shadow Stalker placed Bluestreak on the ground. "That's what he said."

"They were talking, and I-I heard them." Bluestreak frowned, as he looked at the ground.

Elita-One looked at the other bots. "This is bad."

"We can't evacuate the city, because then they'll know we were here, and probably move the bombs. We can't just do nothing because then they'll blow up whatever they're after." Aquaburner sighed. "We're stuck."

"We can't do anything, yet." Elita-One mumbled. "I'm sorry, Bluestreak."

"Bu-But-!" Shadow Stalker covered the younglings mouthplates.

"She's right. We can't do anything, yet."

Elita-One looked surprised, as she nodded. "We're done here. Everybody get some recharge. We'll start again tomorrow."

The bots nodded before walking away, leaving Bluestreak and Shadow Stalker where they stood. "Come on." Shadow Stalker grabbed Bluestreak's servo.

"Wh-where?"

"Where else. We're going to get those Decepticons, and save your creators."

"Bu-but she said we couldn't!"

"She said we can't do anything, yet. As soon as she left we can do whatever we want." Shadow Stalker smirked. "Lead the way, youngling." And lead he did.

* * *

Shadow Stalker stood in front of the unit that belonged to Bluestreak's creators. "This is it?" Bluestreak nodded. "You have a place to stay while I do this?"

"I can go to my grandcreator's."

"Then go." Shadow Stalker stared at the unit. Bluestreak nodded before he ran off.

Shadow Stalker made her way up the steps of the building. She walked up to the door, and winced as it just opened as she walked up to it. Two red optics glowed from inside the room. "Well, hello."

Shadow Stalker stood her ground. "And who are you?"

"That's quite rude. One is supposed to introduce themselves first."

"I'm not one for manners."

The decepticon's optics narrowed. "That's too bad."

The door closed itself behind Shadow Stalker, and the lights flickered on. Shadow Stalker's optics widened. Two bots layed across the ground. Matching holes laid in the center of the bot's chests. Energon leaked from the graying frames. Bluestreak's creators. Shadow Stalker felt the rage inside her boil up to the top. "Fragging glitch!"

"I wanted that youngling to be the first to see this, but you'll have to do."

Shadow Stalker glared at the Decepticon. He had standard purple, and black armor. Glowing red optics. He wasn't an air based model. Which was highly unusual for Decepticons. "You're sick!" Shadow Stalker pulled out an energon sword. She activated the blade, and rushed at the Decepticon.

The Decepticon smoothly moved out of the way. "Now, now. No need to rush. I'll be offline soon, along with the rest of the city, now that we know there's Autobots here anyways."

Shadow Stalkers Optics widened. "What?"

"You heard me, femme. This whole city is about to be blown into rubble, as soon as I give the word. If we can't pick you Autobots out, we'll just take you all out at once. The city isn't that important to us, anyways."

Shadow Stalker ran at the mech again. This time catching his arm in her slash.

"Glitch!" The mech gripped his arm. "That's it." The mech pulled out a type of communicator. He tapped a button. "Five breems. That's all you have. We'll both offline here."

Shadow Stalker glared at the mech. "No, you'll offline here." She charged once again, stabbing the mech in the gut. "I have other business to attend to!" She ripped the sword out, and stabbed the mech again in the helm. She deactivated the blade before running out of the building. ::Elita-One! Where are you?::

::Shadow Stalker?::

::Where the frag are you? Answer me!::

::I'm walking to my hotel::

::It's too late:: Shadow Stalker mumbled in her comm link as she spotted the seekers.

::What's too- Are those seekers?::

::They have bombs, Elita::

::Elita? Wait, bombs?::

::They are going to destroy Praxus completely. Vaporize it. There won't be anything left::

:: I see. We won't be going home will we?::

::No. Probably not::

::Can you tell me why you hate me then?::

::If we live you're not allowed to hold it against me.::

::Yeah, that's a given.::

::I'm in love with Optimus:: Shadow Stalker ended the comm, and looked up at the sky watching the seekers slowly getting closer. Alarms began sounding, and soon vibrations hit. Building began falling, and everything went black for Shadow Stalker. All she could thing about though, was how she had failed Optimus and even Bluestreak. She couldn't keep Elita-One safe for him. She couldn't help Bluestreak at all. She was a failure.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Whoo! Nothing like writing Fanfiction after an overstressful week. I'm going to go die after this...( temporarily of course.) This was supposed to be uploaded last week, but the chapter sucked, and I didn't like it. Usually I would have uploaded it anyways, but this is written for somebody else, so I wanted to like it before I updated. I still don't like it, but for the week I spent trying to get it better than it was. It's as good it as it going to get, if not worse.**

**REVIEWS**

**Bee4ever: =D Maybe...**

**DarkdemonRaYven: Another Elita-One hater! Welcome! This story seems to attract a lot of Elita-One haters. XD**

**TheInheritance: Thank you! The character isn't mine, Shadow Stalker belongs to Autbotschic. I'm writing this story for her, so I'd ask her to write the Oneshot. **

**Anonymous BW FG: They are one of my one true weaknesses. XD I'm sure you did better than I ever would have playing volleyball. The closest I've gotten to playing that is setting up rugs in my livingroom, and blowing up a balloon and try to hit the balloon into the couch behind my friend. ( you got ten points for a crotch shot!)**

**Autobotschic: My parents might not like the ego exploding thing. XD Thank you! The ego is expanding as I write, and popping as my Dad speaks! XD**

**Minimus Prime: Thank you! XD You'll have to talk to autobotschic about adopting her! The creepy bomber is dead. He was stupid to get in Shadow Stalkers way. XD**

* * *

Optimus examined the rubble of what was once a beautiful city. Buildings were reduced to chunks of metal. The streets were cracked and impossible to navigate. Very few survivors had been found since the city's fall.

Optimus' future bond was under this rubble somewhere. She hadn't been found yet. The rescue mission was well underway, and the Autobots were already neck cable deep in empty frames. The only Autobots that had been found were Aquaburner, Wheelrider, and Metal Racer. They were still missing Elita-One, Fledge, and Shadow Stalker.

Optimus sighed as he looked away. Prowl stood beside him watching the bots work to find more survivors. "Are you alright, Optimus?"

"I should be asking you that, Prowl. This was your home after all."

"It stopped being my home when I decided to leave, and never turn back."

Optimus nodded. "I see." Optimus caught a glimpse of pink out of the corner of his optic, and snapped his helm in that direction only to release a sigh at the pink mech carrying a graying frame.

"She is most likely fine." Prowl stated.

"Who?"

"Shadow Stalker. That is who you're looking for, isn't it?"

Optimus straightened up. "As well as the other Autobots."

Prowl gave him a suspicious look. "Is there something going on that I do not know about. Perhaps it has something to do with Shadow Stalker constantly forging your signature on the reports I give you?"

"Nothing."

Prowl dropped the subject and turned back to watching the city. He almost fell when a force hit the back of his legs. "Woah!" He turned around and quickly caught his balance. The sound of Prowl's panic caught Optimus' attention, and they both stared at a small gray youngling laid face down panting.

::Optimus to Ratchet::

::I'm busy!::

::We have a youngling over here.::

::I'll send somebody right over. Ratchet out::

"Ratchet is sending a medic."

Prowl nodded. He bent down to the youngling. "Are you alright?"

"They're gone!"

"Who?" Optimus asked.

"My creators! I can't find them!"

Optimus and Prowl looked at each other. Prowl turned back to the youngling. "Please try to calm down. My designation is Prowl. I am the Second in command of the Autobot army. What is your designation?"

"I-I'm Bluestreak."

"Bluestreak, where did you last see your creators?"

Bluestreak sniffled as he wiped his optics. "They were with th-the Decepticons! I heard the m-meanies talking about a bomb, and I-I went to find Shadow!"

"You mean, Shadow Stalker?" Prowl asked. Bluestreak nodded. "Can you lead us to where you last saw her?"

"I think so."

Prowl nodded. "We will have you lead the way after the medic gets a look at you."

Bluestreak sniffed. "Okay."

Optimus looked at Bluestreak. "Did you see a pink femme by any chance?"

"There was one with Shadow before the bombs, but they weren't getting along. She was kind of mean."

"Shadow?"

"No, the pink one."

Optimus nodded. He must have gotten the two confused. He watched a First Aid ran up to Bluestreak. "I'm First Aid, a medic. I'm going to look you over for injuries, alright?"

Bluestreak nodded, and First Aid went to work.

* * *

Bluestreak walked confidently through the destroyed streets, leading Optimus and Prowl to his old home. He let Shadow Stalker go in there while he ran to his Grandcreator's home. He never made it, and a store's clerk grabbed him, and took him to the bomb shelter he had.

Bluestreak pointed to a broken down building. "This is where I found Shadow, but we walked off, and left her friends here."

Optimus nodded. ::I need Autobot's to begin digging in my current position::

::Ironhide here. I'll send some over::

::Thank you, Ironhide. Optimus out::

"Where did you take her next?" Optimus asked.

Bluestreak looked down at the ground. "I don't want to go there."

Prowl looked over to Optimus and nodded. "You do not have to. We just need the coördinates. Do you know them?"

Bluestreak frowned, and shook his helm. "No." Tears started rolling down the youngling's face. "You're not going to make me go, are you?"

Optimus shook his helm. "No."

Bluestreak nodded. "I took Shadow to buy special crystals. That's how we met."

Optimus cocked his helm at the small bit of information the youngling started spitting out. "Really?"

"She got a red set of syncing crystals, and I got a blue and purple set. They were for my creators, but I didn't get to give them their gifts. I wonder if I'll be able to give it to them later. What if I can't? What would I do? What if the reason they aren't here is because I didn't give them their half of the syncing crystals? What if it's all my fault?"

Optimus and Prowl looked at each other. Prowl kneeled down beside Bluestreak. "It's alright. That's not the reason. Calm down, and take deep intakes."

Bluestreak took some deep intakes they soon turned quick and panicked. "What if Shadow is gone too? It would be all my fault. I went and got her! She might still be online if wasn't for me!"

"Bluestreak." Optimus kneeled down beside Prowl. "It is not your fault."

Bluestreak began crying. "It is!"

::Optimus to Ratchet::

::What?::

::I need a medic::

::On their way. Ratchet out::

Optimus wrapped his arms around the youngling. "It is not your fault."

Bluestreak returned the hug, but continued to cry. Prowl stood up, and stood awkwardly next to Optimus. He was never good with bots who cried. He wasn't good with younglings or sparklings. Any kind of tears falling down a bots face made him feel awkward. He didn't know what was the right thing to do in those situations, so he tended to avoid them. "I will begin searching over there for bots."

Optimus nodded, and continued to hold the small weeping bot.

* * *

Optimus sighed as the sky began to darken. After Bluestreak stopped crying he began asking Optimus questions. His questions seemed to never run dry, but it didn't take Bluestreak long to find a new bot, and begin asking them questions. Optimus' only regret was that the new bot was Prowl, and as of a couple of joors ago, Bluestreak was still asking questions, and the calm Second in Command was still answering.

They had found Fledge. He was still online, barely. He is currently located in Ratchet's Medical bay on ship going though critical repairs. Ratchet had told Optimus that there was a chance of Fledge offlining in the middle of the repairs, and that he shouldn't be too optimistic of the bot making it.

Optimus didn't really pay attention to the white, and red bot, but instead concentrated on where Elita- One would have been in the city at the time of the bombing. All of the Inns and hotels remains had been checked, but Elita- One was nowhere to be found.

Optimus was beginning to lose hope all together. Perhaps it was time to throw in the towl, and give up. Perhaps he should just surrender to Megatron. There wasn't much point in fighting a one sided war.

A knock interrupted Optimus' thoughts. "Enter."

The door opened, and a soldier walked in. "Sir, The frame of Commander Elita- One was found."

Optimus stood up quickly. "Where?"

"The frame was found near a shrine, sir."

Optimus nodded. "Was it moved?"

"It was moved with the rest of the frames, sir."

"Thank you." Optimus sighed.

The bot nodded and left the room. Optimus fell into his chair, and let his helm fall to his desk. His spark felt numb. He just lost somebody very important, one of kind. Even worse than that. He lost somebody he loved. Somebody he wanted to bond to.

Another knock interrupted his thoughts. He had half the processor to just tell them to go away, but he called out for them to come inside anyways.

Optimus listened to the footsteps of the mech coming into the room. "Optimus."

Optimus sat up to face Prowl. "Yes?"

Bluestreak stood by Prowl, his doorwings mimicking that of the Second in Command. It would have been funny, if it wasn't for the circumstances. Prowl looked down at Bluestreak. "Please wait outside the door."

Bluestreak looked hesitant at first but after a reassuring nod from Optimus the small bot nodded. "Okay, don't be too long though. If you take longer than five breems I'm coming in, alright?"

Prowl nodded. "Very well." He watched the youngling run out of the room, and waited for the door to close before he began talking. "Bluestreak has grown attached, despite my best efforts."

Optimus tried to smile, but the movement wouldn't happen. Prowl frowned. "It was a joke."

Optimus nodded. "I am aware."

Prowl's doorwings flicked. "What is wrong. The almighty Prime should not be acting like an upset sparkling."

"I am not acting like an upset sparkling, Prowl. This is no situation for me to be laughing and making jokes."

Prowl head made a surprised motion. "Perhaps it's Shadow Stalker?"

Optimus optics widened. He had forgotten about her. She was missing still. He was so worried about Elita- One that he forgot about his best friend. "No, it wasn't."

"Past tense?"

"I forgot about her."

Prowl's doorwings flared. "Excuse me?"

Optimus's helm fell into his servos. "I completely forgot about Shadow."

"If you haven't been worried about Shadow Stalker? What has been on your processor?"

"Nothing."

Prowl's optics narrowed. "I will let you know when we find Shadow Stalker. I expect answers when I next see you." Prowl didn't let Optimus answer before he left the room.

Optimus groaned as he stood up. _I need to go see Elita-Ones frame. _

* * *

Prowl found Bluestreak right outside the door. "I'm done."

Bluestreak looked up at him. "I was about to go in. It would not have been pretty."

"I'm sure it would not have."

"Do you ever get to throw bots in the brig?"

Prowl sighed as the questions began again. "Yes."

"Would you throw me in the brig?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I would throw you in the brig if you do something against the rules that constitute that sort of punishment."

"Oh. I haven't done anything against the rules have I?"

"Not yet." _Though I'm sure driving the Second in Command crazy is in the rule book somewhere._

Bluestreak smiled up at Prowl. "Can I recharge with you tonight?"

Prowl froze when the question was asked. "Do you not want to sleep in the med bay or with the other survivors?"

Bluestreak looked up at Prowl with huge optics. "I don't know any of them."

"I suppose it should be alright."

Bluestreak smiled. "Yay!"

Prowl sighed. :: I need bots to start searching these coordinates. These are coordinates of a Decepticon signal that was sent out. We believe it to be the signal for the bombings::

::Inferno's group is on it. Inferno out::

Prowl nodded to himself and mentally made a note of Inferno's group going to the coordinates. "I will set up a space in my quarters, I warn you that I may not be in there until late."

"I'll stay with you!" Bluestreak smiled.

"You need recharge."

"You do too!"

Prowl sighed. "Fine."

* * *

Inferno sighed as his group got closer to the coördinates. The group transformed. Inferno sighed as he stared at the huge area of nothing but rubble. "Let's start digging." He led his group through the tiring actions of lifting huge pieces of building and clearing a path to get to the provided coördinates. Prowl sure knew how to pick the tough jobs.

"Sir, we found a frame."

Inferno sighed. They barely started and were already finding frames. "Move it to a relatively clear area, and we'll keep them there."

"Yes, sir." The bot picked up a gray Praxian frame, and moved it. Inferno began digging through the rubble again.

By the time the group reached the coördinates they had found fifteen frames. It was becoming clear that the area was part of the resident areas of the city. "This is the area we need to start searching. Look for any frames, but Decepticon frames in particularly. Oh, and remember, we are still looking for one more member of the Autobot group sent here a couple of days ago." Inferno received a bunch of confirmations as his group began to fan out and dig in to the giant area of rubble.

Inferno sighed as he received a comm from Prowl. ::Prowl to Inferno::

::Inferno here::

::It is time for your group to take a break. You've been out there for a couple of joors::

::We can keep it up for a couple of more::

::Please do not overwork yourself or your team. I will allow another joor at most. When you start your return comm Jazz. I will be going to recharge in a half a joor::

:Yes, sir. Inferno out::

Inferno gave the ground a strange glance. Prowl using going and recharge in the same sentence wasn't normal. Prowl must be under a lot of stress.

* * *

"Can we go to recharge now?"

Prowl sighed a Bluestreak yawned. "Alright. I have prepared your side of the berth, and contacted Inferno's team. We may recharge."

"Good, I was getting tired."

"I did not notice."

"I was hiding it."

* * *

Jazz looked at his internal clock. It had been a joor since Prowl told him about Inferno. The group was supposed to be here by now. ::Jazz to Inferno::

::Busy::

::Ya'r groups supposed ta be back::

::We found Shadow Stalker::

Jazz stood up from his seat in the rec room. ::She okay?::

::She's alive, for now::

:yeah, yeah, ah got da point. Jazz out::

Jazz ran down the hall, and knocked on Prowl's door. The door opened, and Prowl glared at Jazz. "What?"

Jazz looked at Prowl. "Inferno found Shadow Stalker. Just thought ah'd tell ya."

"They found Shadow!" Bluestreak ran out from behind Prowl. "Can we go see her! I want to talk to her. Maybe she found my creators!" Bluestreak ran out the room and down the hall. He quickly turned around and ran back. "Where's med bay?"

"She's not at med bay yet, younglin'." Jazz frowned.

Bluestreak looked up at Jazz with sad optics. "Aren't they going to save her?"

"She is still alive, right?" Prowl asked.

"They're diggin' her out right now. So far she's still kickin'."

Prowl nodded. "We will wait in the waiting room, Blue. Jazz will you take Bluestreak while I go get Optimus?"

Jazz nodded. "Sure thing. Come on, Blue."

Bluestreak looked over to Prowl before reluctantly taking Jazz's servo. "What's your name?"

"Jazz."

"What do you do?"

"I'm a saboteur."

"What's that?"

"I do sabotage with special ops."

"That sounds cool."

Prowl sighed as the two made their way down the hall. "That youngling will be the death of me." He mumbled as he went off to find Optimus.

* * *

Optimus sat at his desk with his helm against a stack of data pads he brought from Iacon. He had went to see Elita-One's frame. It was wrecked. One of the bombs had hit near her, and from what he could tell threw her through the air. Parts of her armor was missing. Her optics smashed. Dried energon covered her frame.

"I forgot all about Shadow. Elita-One is dead. What else could go wrong?" He groaned as a knock rang through the room.

The doors automatically opened, and Prowl walked in alone. Optimus groaned again. "Don't tell me. Bluestreak is in Med bay."

Prowl's doorwings twitched with surprise. "Yes, but how-"

"Everything's been going wrong today."

"I believe you misunderstand. Bluestreak is waiting in Med bay. Inferno's group reported back with news."

Optimus sat up. "More bad new, I suppose?"

"They found Shadow Stalker. She is online, and they are bringing her to Med bay. Bluestreak wished to see her, and he is with Jazz waiting."

Optimus' optics widened. "That makes two survivors from the group we sent?"

"Yes." Prowl nodded. "So far anyways. Ratchet has yet to even see Shadow Stalker. She could fade before she makes it to Med bay. Fledge is still in critical condition. Ratchet isn't sure he'll make it. The odds are against him."

Optimus nodded. "I'll be going to Med bay."

Prowl blocked Optimus' way. Optimus looked down at him. "Prowl?"

"Are you sure you have the right to visit Shadow Stalker?"

Optimus looked down at the ground. "Prowl."

"You said so yourself. You forgot about her. Answer me why you forgot about her, and I might let you go."

Optimus sighed. "You should be a Decepticon."

"Don't tempt me." Prowl's wings flicked up.

"Elita-One." Optimus answered.

"What about her?"

"We planned to bond after she got back from this mission. I was... grieved."

Prowl stood silently. "I don't find that as a sufficient reason to forget about a close friend."

"I suppose not. I was so worried about Elita-One I forgot completely about Shadow. It pains me to say this, but I don't think I want to go see Shadow."

Prowl's wings fell in confusion. "Why not?"

"She'll hate me."

"I doubt-"

"You don't know Shadow." Optimus interrupted. He stared over at the data pads on his desk. "You don't know her at all. She finds out everything. She'll find out I forgot about her, and she'll hate me."

Prowl stood silent for a moment. "I seriously doubt that."

::Inferno to Prowl::

::Yes::

::Shadow Stalker is now with Ratchet::

::Thank you. Prowl out::

"Shadow Stalker is with Ratchet as we speak. I'll be with Bluestreak. If you feel like joining us, feel free." Prowl turned and left the room.

Optimus sighed as he took a seat at his desk. "I'm so sorry, Shadow."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Whoo! I'm updating on time! I said at the begining this was going to be a 5 or 6 chapter story, but I think I have to make it a little longer to fit in everything I want to. It might end up being a 7 or 8 or maybe 9 chapters. I don't have alot of time to plan everything out lately! **

**REVIEWS! **

**Minimus Prime: Let's murder him. I want to murder Optimus Prime. I really do. I feel like a Decepticon today... XD**

**Bee4ever: Optimus will be a happy mother fragger by the time I'm done with him! I love Bluestreak!**

**Autobotschic: You're too kind! Just stop. Your words! They're making me too strong! Nooo! XD I hated that part too! **

**Autobot Trapjaw: Awww ! Thank you! I think it's awesome that both you and your sister have a fanfiction account. My brother and I have nothing in common except for Minecraft, and we only have that in common because we can kill each other...**

* * *

Prowl waited patiently with Jazz and Bluestreak as Ratchet worked on the broken femme inside the makeshift medical bay. Bluestreak continued to ask Jazz all the questions he could think of until he ran out and turned back to Prowl. "Prowl, how long until I can see Shadow?"

"You may never get to see her." Prowl answered bluntly.

Jazz laughed awkwardly. "Ah think Prowler means tha' Shadow Stalker's pretty good at avoidin' bots."

"No, Jazz. I meant Shadow Stalker might not live."

Bluestreak looked down at the ground. "So, she'll be like Carrier, Sire, and all the rest of the mechs and femmes who had the dull gray frames?"

"Yes. She may offline." Prowl nodded.

Bluestreak pulled his knees up to his chassis, and wrapped his arms around them. He let his helm drop down, and he fell silent.

Prowl stared down at the youngling. "You do not have to cry. There is only a 49.5 chance of that happening."

Bluestreak sniffed from his position. "I don't want Shadow to disappear! I don't want her face to appear in my processor when I offline my optics!"

Jazz gave Prowl an upset glance. "Listen, little mech, Shadow is too tough to offline like this. She fought in the gladiator's arenas before this. She's been in worse shape than this, and made it out just fine!"

Bluestreak shook his helm. "What if she doesn't?"

Jazz crouched down, and wrapped an arm around Bluestreak. "Ya can't think of that."

Prowl stared at the two. "I am certain if Shadow Stalker was here right now, she would beat the scrap out of Jazz just for calling her Shadow, even in the condition she is in."

Bluestreak let out a chuckle. "Shadow let's me call her that."

"It means she likes you more than other bots." Prowl answered.

Bluestreak jumped as the door opened, and Ratchet walked out. He sighed as he looked at the three bots. "Optimus isn't here?"

"No." Prowl answered.

"She's asking for him."

Prowl looked over to Jazz, and sighed. "Optimus said he did not wish to visit her."

Ratchet's optics narrowed. "Her exact words were, 'you're not touching me unless Optimus gets his aft in here.' I'd rather not be the one to challenge her."

"She ain't lettin ya repair her?" Jazz questioned.

"I already did the major repairs before she woke up, Jazz. At the moment she is missing three digits, an audial, and one of her optics are shattered."

Prowl looked down at Bluestreak. "May Bluestreak go in to see her?"

"I can't do anything if she kicks him out."

Bluestreak stood, and looked up to Prowl for a translation of the vague answer. Prowl nodded, and the small bot looked up at Ratchet to lead the way. Ratchet sighed as he grabbed the small bots servo. "Come on."

* * *

Optimus slowly left his office, and walked into temporary quarters. He quickly typed in the code and walked in manually pressing a button for the door to close faster. He threw himself on the berth, and laid there frozen. He was regretting his decision not to see Shadow.

He was already a horrible friend, but by not going to see her, wouldn't that make him an even worse friend? Or maybe by seeing her that would make a him a horrible bot in general, to forget a friend and then go see them like nothing happened.

His door opened and he looked up surprised. Prowl stood in the door, a frown on his face. "She is offline."

Optimus' optics began to fill with energon. He tried to wipe them away, but they kept coming. Prowl walked into the room, and sat on the berth. "I do not understand. If you are just going to react like this with that kind of news, why don't you just go visit her?"

Optimus wiped his optics. "She's not..."

"No. She is online, and asking for you. She isn't letting Ratchet finish repairs until she sees you."

Optimus clinched his fists. He kept telling himself it was unprime like to punch the bot, but he couldn't control it. He reeled back his fist and punched Prowl in the faceplates. Prowl grabbed his cheek and sighed. "I understand you are upset, but I-"

"Upset? You think I'm upset?" Prowl glanced up at Optimus. "I'm not upset, Prowl. That was sick! During a time like this, that isn't something to joke about!"

"I was simply trying to h-"

"It wasn't helpful, Prowl! Get out!" Optimus pointed to the door.

Prowl sighed. "What are you going to do when that news comes, and it's your fault because she refused repairs?"

"OUT!"

Prowl shook his helm and walked out of the room. "Whatever you say, Prime."

Optimus sighed, and fell onto the berth behind him. "What will I do?"

* * *

Bluestream happily skipped behind Ratchet, and walked into the room. He smiled when he saw the green, gold and black femme. "Shadow!"

Shadow Stalker slowly turned her helm to the youngling. She opened her mouth to speak, but her voice was quiet. "I asked for Optimus."

Bluestreak looked over to Ratchet. Ratchet sighed. "He has been waiting to see you, and you will not refuse the youngling's visit."

Shadow Stalker looked down at Bluestreak. "Hi."

"Shadow, are you okay?"

"I've... had worse."

Bluestreak climbed onto the berth next to Shadow Stalker. "My creators didn't make it. Nor did my grandcreators." Shadow Stalker was silent. "I think my creators didn't make it cause I didn't give them the crystals yet, so they left."

"Bluestreak, it wasn't..." Shadow Stalker sighed. "Horrible bots t-took your creators."

Bluestreak sniffed and looked down at the ground. "What do you mean?"

"The Decepticon did."

"Why?"

Shadow Stalker shook her helm. "I- Decepticons are... disgusting."

"Shadow, will you take care of me?"

Shadow Stalker angled her helm to see Bluestreak. His optics were filled with hope. She hated to crush it. It reminded her of herself. "I- I can't." It would do no good for a broken bot to take care of another broken bot. Neither would get fixed.

Bluestreak make a choking sound. "Don't cry."

"I'm not!"

Shadow Stalker smirked. "Sure."

Bluestreak held out a purple crystal. "Here."

Shadow Stalker accepted the crystal. "Thanks, Bluestreak."

Bluestreak sniffed and jumped off the berth. "See ya, Shadow!"

"Yeah." Shadow Stalker gripped the crystal. "See ya later, Blue."

Bluestreak shot her one last smile as he ran out of the room. Ratchet looked back at her. "I suppose I'm still not allowed to touch you until Optimus comes?"

"Touch me and offline."

Ratchet snorted. "Of course."

* * *

Prowl walked back to the Medical bay, and spotted Jazz. "Your idea got me punched."

Jazz looked at Prowl and snorted. "Ya look good sportin' a dent."

"It dented?" Prowl rubbed his face and winced at the dent. "Slag."

"He comin'?"

"No."

Jazz frowned, but quickly put a smile on his faceplates as the med bay doors opened. Ratchet walked out with Bluestreak, and froze. "What happened to your face, Prowl?"

Prowl stiffined. "Nothing."

"Nothing? So, your faceplates randomly decided to bend inward?"

"Yes?"

Ratchet growled. "Don't you think I have enough work to do? I don't have time to fix idiots' injuries!"

"Prime punched da mech." Jazz snorted.

Ratchet got an interested look on his face. "Really?"

"It was Jazz's plan."

"What exactly was this plan?" Ratchet crossed his servos.

"Jazz told me to tell Optimus that Shadow Stalker offlined, and to observe his reaction. He cried, so I told him the truth, and in turn he punched me."

"You deserved it, Slagger."

"Isn't slagger a bad word?"

Ratchet looked down at Bluestreak, and put enough force behind his wrench to hurt the mechling but not cause serious injury. "Yes, so don't say it." Ratchet watched the mechling rub his helm. "I'll just have to go get the mech myself."

Prowl and Jazz looked at each other. Prowl stepped forward. "Ratchet, I don't-"

"I need to relieve aggravation, and it's either going to be Slag helm, or Dent face." Prowl stepped back next to Jazz. Ratchet smirked. "That's what I thought."

* * *

Optimus stood up quickly. "Prowl was right. I can't just ignore her. I have to go see her at least." His door opened for the second time, and he turned to see the mech. He stiffened when he spotted the infuriated medic. "Ratchet I-" _**CLANG**_

"Have a good recharge, Slag helm."

* * *

Shadow Stalker smirked as Ratchet pushed a berth through the doorway. A certain red and Blue mech laid with pain on his frozen faceplates. "The slagger wasn't going to come see you. He punched Prowl, so he had to be dealt with."

Shadow Stalker let out weak laugh. "One would think you were with the underground before the war."

"Who says I wasn't?"

Shadow Stalker snorted as Ratchet un-subspaced three digits, an audial, and a new optic. "Give me your left servo." Shadow Stalker complied. Ratchet began with the grueling process of re attaching the three digits. "You're lucky."

"Why?"

"You and Fledge were only two survivors from the group." Ratchet watched Shadow Stalker's expression as it fell into a frown. "Fledge might not even make it."

"I see. So, Elita-One is offline?"

"Yes."

Shadow Stalker thought a huge weight would be lifted off her shoulders, but more pressure just seemed to be added. She looked over to Optimus. "I can see why Optimus didn't want to see me."

Ratchet stared at the femme. "Why is that?"

"I was supposed to take care of Elita-One. I promised him I would protect her."

"That doesn't seem like a good reason for somebody to ignore somebody else."

"Elita and Optimus were going to get bonded. I was supposed to protect her, and now she's offline."

Ratchet stopped what he was doing. "Optimus, and Elita-One?"

Shadow Stalker nodded. "It should have been me."

"Stop. It should have been nobody. None of this should have happened. Nobody should have offlined, nobody should have been sent in, and nobody should have sent for bombs." Ratchet attached the last digit, and stood up. "We don't want Optimus seeing your broken Optic, so let's do that next."

"What about my audial."

"Just face one side and he'll never notice."

Shadow Stalker smirked. "Crafty, huh?"

Ratchet smiled. "I have to be. Offline your optics, please."

Shadow Stalker nodded and offlined her optics, and winced as Elita-One's face popped into the darkness. "Ratchet?"

"Yes?"

"Do you know any good therapists?"Shadow Stalker felt her optic slip out of place. She quickly dismissed any error messages.

"I suggested you go to one a long time ago. Why ask now?"

"I think it may be time I go to one, that's all."

Ratchet sighed. "I know one, but he isn't here, and he may be sort of a hypocrite."

"I hate hypocrites."

"Good, you'll love him." Ratchet slipped the optic into place. "Is it too tight fitting, or loose or anything?"

"No, it's fine."

Ratchet pulled the optic out. "His designation is Smokescreen."

"Smokescreen? Gambling Smokescreen?"

"Yes."

"He owes me three thousand credits!"

Ratchet snorted. "He's pretty good."

"At gambling?"

"Well, yes, but also as a therapist."

Shadow Stalker nodded as she heard Ratchet pick up a tool. "Are you saudering the wires on?"

"Onto the optic, but I have not started the actual application yet."

"Oh."

"Why did you say no to Bluestreak?"

"I can't take care of him when I can't take care of myself."

"I'm applying the Optic now."

Shadow Stalker nodded. "This is the third time I've had that optic replaced."

Ratchet snorted. "Sounds like you need reinforced optics."

"Sounds like you need a life."

"I am fixing you, femme." Ratchet warned.

"Yeah, yeah."

Ratchet pulled away. "Alright. Try and online it."

Shadow Stalker onlined her optics, and looked around. "The color is slightly off, but that will be fine over time."

Ratchet nodded. "Alright, on to the audial."

Shadow Stalker looked over to Optimus. "How hard did you hit him?"

"I was aggravated."

Shadow Stalker laughed. "By what? You're a medic. Aren't you supposed to be more like First Aid? Happy to serve the Autobots in anyway you can?"

"What are you making me out to be, some kind of servant?"

"You are aren't you?"

Ratchet stood up and placed the new gray audial on the tray next to the bed. "I'm done with you."

"Hey!"

Ratchet walked out of the room leaving Shadow Stalker missing one audial. "Jerk! I was joking!"

The door closed, and Shadow Stalker sighed. She laid down on her side and faced Optimus' berth. "Wake up fragging slagger!" She groaned and rolled over onto her side. She reached into her subspace and pulled out the crafts data pad from the old Iacon library. "Scrap." She mumbled. The screen was cracked and splintered. The images barely showed up anymore.

A groan brought Shadow Stalker's attention to Optimus. He sat up and looked around. His optics stopped on Shadow Stalker. "Shadow-"

"No."

"You don't even-"

"Yes, I do."

Optimus fell silent, and looked at the data pad in her hand. "Is that the data pad I found for you?"

Shadow Stalker stiffened. "It's kind of broke now." Optimus nodded as he continued to stare at it. "It may also be overdue. I'm not paying late fees, but um, here." She passed the data pad over to Optimus. "Sorry."

"You don't have to apologize for the data pad."

"Not for the data pad. I'm sorry for not protecting Elita-One. It's my fault."

"Shadow, it-"

"Don't call me that!"

Optimus' optics widened. "What?"

"Don't call me Shadow anymore."

"I-"

"I don't deserve a friend like you."

"No, I'm afraid it's the other way around." Optimus sighed.

Shadow Stalker stared at Optimus. "You didn't offline my almost bonded."

"You did not offline Elita-One."

"I did." Shadow Stalker mumbled. "I was jealous of her, and purposely neglected my duties."

"Shadow, you-"

"I told you not to call me that, Slagger!"

"Shadow Stalker, I completely forgot about you. While you were missing in the rubble the only thing I could think of was Elita-One. Even after her frame was found."

"I deserved that though." Shadow Stalker grabbed her chest. "Sure, knowing that hurts, a lot actually, but I deserve to be forgotten about. I hate to say this, but I hated Elita-One."

"Shadow Stalker, nobody deserves to be forgotten about. Especially somebody like you."

"Shut up! I deserve to be forgotten about, and you know it!"

The room was silent. The air around the two was calm. Optimus rubbed his helm. "Ratchet didn't hold back."

Shadow Stalker chuckled. "Yeah."

Optimus looked over to the femme and was surprised by the liquid running down her face. "Are you crying?"

"NO!" The femme quickly wiped her faceplates. "I don't cry, and you know it."

"It really isn't your fault, Shadow. You're still my best friend, if you'll accept the position anyways."

Shadow Stalker sniffed. "Yeah, Best friends." She reached into her subspace and pulled out her red crystals. "Here." She passed one over.

Optimus looked at the crystal. "This is a.."

"They are called syncing crystals. In Praxus it's said that if you give one to somebody important you, and you keep one, that you will be together forever."

Optimus held the crystal up into the air. "Thank you. I will keep it with me."

Are you forget about it like you did me?" Shadow Stalker asked jokingly.

"That wasn't funny."

"Sorry, I doubt you'd be able to forget about me for long anyways."

"Why is that?"

"You'll need somebody to do all the work Prowl gives you, and you'll come running to me."

Optimus snorted. "Of course."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I DID NOT FORGET ABOUT THIS STORY! I'm just a little slow updating. Last week was long, and so was the week before that. I have to write a paper about some kind of painting, statue or something, so I want you guys to offer your favorite piece of art! I can't choose. I'm horrible at choosing stuff!**

**Baby sitting a kitten! If you see any mistakes, I blame the fragging kitten, It's just so cute walking all over my keyboard I don't want it to stop!**

**OH! I got my GPA today, and I was impressed with myself. I have a fragging 3.8! I was like Frag yeah! And then my dad looks at it and was all like. "Really? A 3.8? I have a 4.8!" Of course My dad didn't finish high school, so I was all like. "Glitch please! I have a 3.8, and you had a zero!" and of course, my dad, being my dad. Smiled, looked over at my mother, who smiled back, looked back at me, and with only eight words, he beat me. "Then why aren't you first in your class?" I had no answer. I was third, and I felt like Mello from Death note. I would never be able to beat those other to kids in front of me, so, I'd have to take them out., and That's how I ended up in prison. XD not really. I haven't taken them out yet.**

**REVIEWS!**

**Bee4ever: XD Poor Prowl, I feel sorry for doing that to him. His face was perfect, and then Optimus just dented it up! It should be illegal to punch Prowl's smexy faceplates! Thank you!**

**Anonymous BW FG: XD Thank you! I didn't know anything about Basketball when played either. I still don't... XD Yes! Sleep with that basketball, and have small little foam basketball babies! XD I was always good at dribbling. I suck at anything else, but I sure could dribble! XD**

**Autobot Trapjaw: AWW! No, don't cry! I didn't have that intention for that chapter! XD Thank you!**

**Autobotschic: If my ego explodes it might hurt D:! XD if you read it too much it might you might memorize it, and lose the will to read it!**

**CONVERSIONS!**

**Stellarcycle- like a year**

**Metacycle- Kinda like a month**

**Decaorn- like a week**

**orn- a day**

* * *

Shadow Stalker ran down the hall as fast as she could. She quickly skid around a corner, and used one of the passing bots as a spring board get through the crowd faster. She didn't dare to look back as she sprinted through the rest of the bots, and ran into an office.

Optimus looked up to the femme from his desk, and sighed. "What did you do now?"

"Nothing."

Optimus sighed as his office door opened, and Prowl ran through. The door closed behind him, and stood right in front of it, leaving no exit. "Shadow Stalker."

"Prowl."

"I do not find this amusing any longer."

"So you found it amusing before?"

"Only slightly. Next time you give Bluestreak energon goodies, I will offline you in the most painful of ways!"

Optimus stood up and stepped between the two. "Prowl, where is Bluestreak now?"

"I left him with the tw-" Shadow Stalker smirked as she realized the Twins plan worked. "I retract my last threat. I'll offline you all!" Prowl ran out of the room no doubt sprinting back to Bluestreak.

Optimus looked back at Shadow Stalker. "I agreed to assign Prowl as Bluestreak's guardian because Bluestreak was most comfortable with him, not for you to be able to torture him."

"You're not going to ask what the plan was?" Shadow Stalker smiled as she sat on Optimus' desk.

Optimus frowned as he sat down at his desk. "Not this time."

"Oh, come on! You wanna know!"

Optimus pursed his lip components. "No."

Shadow Stalker leaned back. "Okay."

The room remained silent for a while. Only the sound of Optimus' stylus signing his designation filled the room. Shadow Stalker smiled as his stylus was slammed on the desk. "Just tell me!"

"I gave Bluestreak an energon goodie, and got him all hyper. While Prowl chased me, he left Bluestreak in the trustworthy servos of the Twins. The Twins objective? Simple. Hide Bluestreak while continuously feeding Bluestreak Energon goodies. They made a brave sacrifice of their audials. Poor mechs."

Optimus smirked. "Very well done."

Shadow Stalker smiled. She looked down at the desk and frowned at the hologram that was flashing on the corner. "Do you still miss her?"

Optimus glanced at the form of Elita-One smiling and waving. He was silent for a moment as he glanced down at the desk. "Yes."

Shadow Stalker nodded. "I see."

"I still do not believe you are to blame."

"I know. I've been talking to Smokescreen lately."

"You aren't pestering him about the credits he owes you, are you?"

Shadow Stalker smiled. "HA! We settled that petty argument. He's actually helping me a bit."

Optimus frowned. "You're going to him as a therapist?"

"He's pretty good."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I asked him how long until you wouldn't hurt when I brought up Elita-One."

Optimus frowned. "I doesn't hurt. It's just sore."

"It hasn't been that long since the incident. Only a few Metacycles. Nobody would be over it, or even sore. I would be in down right pain."

Optimus remained silent for a while. He glanced up to Shadow Stalker. "It does hurt. Yes."

"Smokescreen said it might never stop hurting. He said some cheesy line, like time heals all or some scrap like that."

Optimus nodded. "Time does heal all."

"They why is there a chance, time won't heal you?"

Optimus frowned. "Sometimes, you can only be healed, if you want to be."

Shadow Stalker grabbed her helm and let out shout of aggravation. "I hate this scrap! You didn't deserve for Elita- One to offline! You don't deserve to be in pain either! So just let time heal you like a normal bot!"

Optimus let a chuckle at his friend. "Shadow, look at me."

Shadow Stalker turned and looked at Optimus. He continued smiled. "I can't be in that much pain, if I can still smile, right?"

Shadow Stalker smiled as she remember where she had heard that before.

_Shadow Stalker snuck into the Iacon libraries for the second time. She was pretty beat up from her last battle in the gladiator arena, but this was her only day off in forever. She had to take her chance now, or she may never get to come here again. She spotted a familiar red and blue mech digging through the archives again. "You're Orion, right?"_

_Orion turned around and smiled at the femme. "It's been awhile, Shadow Stalker. Over a Stellarcycle."_

"_One of my rare days off." Shadow Stalker smiled at the mech._

_Orion smiled back, but soon frowned when he spotted a small gash on her arm. "You are hurt?"_

"_It doesn't hurt!" Shadow Stalker continued smiling._

"_But-"_

"_I'm smiling aren't I?"_

"_I do not understand."_

"_It can't hurt that bad, if I'm smiling!"_

"I can't believe you remember that!" Shadow Stalker laughed. "That was forever ago it feels like."

"You were trying to keep your occupation secret from me back then." Optimus sighed. "You weren't very good it at, but for some reason, I just ignored all the signs."

"You were middle class. You didn't want to think of all the things that happened to lower class bots. I remember the day Megatron brought you down to the arenas. It was the day I was fighting. The third time we met. You seemed so scared, bots would have thought you had seen the pits."

"You were merciless."

Shadow Stalker frowned. "I had to be."

Optimus nodded. "I understand now, just like I understood after a few joors of recharge."

"By the way, Jazz won quite a few credits from that fight."

Optimus smiled at the memory of seeing his good friend at the arenas. "Indeed, he did."

Shadow Stalker smiled. "Jazz. What a mech."

* * *

Prowl glared at Shadow Stalker, Sunstreaker, and Sideswipe. "Real mature."

Shadow Stalker smiled. "I'm sorry."

"Not enough this time."

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe smiled at the sight of Bluestreak climbing up Prowl's back to perch himself on Prowl's shoulders. Prowl simply lifted him off his back, brought him over his helm, and set him down in front of him. "You three will have a choice either watch Bluestreak until he is completely calm. I don't care how long it takes. Or, you can spend a decaorn in the brig."

The three bots smirked as they looked at each other. Sideswipe snorted. "Please. How hard can it be watching Blue? We'll take that job!"

Prowl pushed the small bot forward. He smirked. "Bluestreak, The quiet game is over, and these three have no authority to start it again."

The three shrunk back in horror. "Prowl! You can't-"

"Hi Shadow! I missed you! I know it hasn't been long, but I really missed you. Prowl says that you're going to take care of me because you got me hyper, but I don't mind. I think it's really cool that you get to watch me! Oh I know we can play tag! Oh, But first I wanna tell you about my day!

"After you gave me the energon treat, I went and played with Ironhide. He told me that you had really good aim! I wanna learn to shoot with as good of aim as you have! I like guns, but I'm scared that I'll get shot by a Decepticon, or that maybe one of my guys gets confused and shoots me instead!

"Wouldn't that be awful! Getting shot by your own guy! It would be terrible! It would hurt too. Prowl said that he was shot by his own guy once, and that the guy got his doorwings. That would hurt real bad, but I don't think you guys will ever know it because you guys don't have doorwin-"

"MY AUDIALS WON'T OFFLINE!" Sideswipe lost it, and ran out of the room running straight for the brig.

"Oh, did I forget to mention I had Ratchet freeze your Audials at the current level they were at this morning, when the three of you took your scheduled maintenance?" Prowl smirked.

"You're good, Prowl. You even knew what we had planned for today."

"It wasn't that hard. Sideswipe let it slip in the rec room this morning that you guys had something planned."

Bluestreak smiled. "May I continue?"

"Please by all means." Prowl smirked.

Shadow Stalker smiled. "Come on, Blue. Let's go. You too, Sunshine!"

"Shut the frag up!" Sunstreaker yelled back at the femme.

Bluestreak smiled. "Where was I? Oh yeah! You guys wouldn't know how much doorwings hurt when they're shot because you guys don't have any. Doorwings really suck, because they're so sensitive! I accidentally-"

Shadow Stalker watched Sunstreaker turn down a hall. ::Where are you going Sunshine?::

::Brig::

Shadow Stalker sighed as Bluestreak continued. This was going to be a long orn.

* * *

Shadow Stalker sat in the Rec room watching Bluestreak run around in a never ending circle while counting as high as he could count.

"2114, 2115, 2116, 2117, 2118, 2119, 2120! Shadow?"

"What, Blue?"

"Can we play a game? Do you even like games? Games are fun aren't they? Have you ever played tag? I love tag! Oh how about hide and seek? Can we play Hide and seek?"

"Yes. Yes. Yes. No. That's nice. Yes. Yes."

Bluestreak smiled. "You count!"

"How high?"

"Hmm. 100!" Bluestreak smiled before running right out of the rec room.

Hound looked over to Shadow Stalker who took a gulp of energon. "You're not going to look for him, are you?"

"Nope."

"You're missing a few wires."

"I know. Ratchet hasn't gotten to fix that yet."

"I meant in the processor."

"Smokescreen hasn't gotten to fix that yet." Shadow Stalker shrugged.

Hound smirked. "At least count."

"I just listened to that youngling count to 2120! Why do I have to count?"

"Fine, count to ten, and the kid won't know the difference."

"Hound, you just might be an evil genius!"

"You also have to look for him."

"Nevermind."

Hound shook his helm. "He's your responsibility."

"He's my responsibility until he runs out of energy."

"You should have played tag."

"What is tag?"

"You choose someone to be it. The person who is it tags somebody else to be it. The whole object is not to be it."

"Slag! Warn a femme next time!"Shadow Stalker yelled a she ran out of the room.

Shadow Stalker walked down the halls. "Bluestreak! Bluestreak!" She glanced around, and sighed. "We should have set area limitations." She looked at her internal watch. "Frag. I'm missing my appointment with Smokie." She glanced around the hallway once more before releasing a sigh as she continued down the hall, checking every room along the way.

::Prowl, locate your youngling!::

::He is right next to me recharging::

::Oh::

::Did you lose him?::

::No::

:: He told me that you were playing hide and seek. I believe the whole point in the game is to lose him::

:: Yes::

::Go to your appointment::

::Thanks Prowl::

Shadow Stalker smiled as she ran down the hall, and around a couple of corners, and right into Smokecreen's office. "I'm here!"

"I win." Smokescreen raised his servo up to Ratchet who passed him a card. Smokescreen transferred the credits through a small machine and smirked. "So, how have you been since our last visit?" Smokescreen pulled out a deck of cards and began shuffling.

"We're really going to do this with Ratchet standing there?" Shadow Stalker raised an optic ridge as she sat down.

Smokescreen shrugged. "Why not? Wanna play Ratchet?"

Ratchet shrugged as he sat down next to Shadow Stalker. "Just ignore me. I'm technically not here."

"Fix my audials after this, and we have a deal."

Ratchet snorted as Smokescreen began dealing the cards. "We're playing galactic rods. High winner."

Shadow Stalker cursed when she saw the hand she had been dealt. She reached over, and grabbed one of Smokescreen's cards as he grabbed one of hers. He smiled as Shadow Stalker cursed. "You never answered my question. How have you been." Smokescreen asked as he grabbed one of Ratchet's cards and Ratchet grabbed one of his.

"I had a little break down with Optimus, but it's fine now."

"About what?" Smokescreen cursed as Ratchet grabbed a card from him, and he reached over to grab one of Ratchet's.

"Time heals all wounds. He said that time only heals wounds if the bot allows it to. I don't think he wants to stop being in pain." Shadow Stalker grabbed one of Ratchet's cards and smiled as he grabbed her suckiest card.

"Maybe he just doesn't want to forget about Elita-One." smokescreen reached and grabbed a card from Ratchet, and Ratchet grabbed a card from Smokescreen.

Ratchet smirked, and laid four of his cards on the table. "I'm out."

Smokescreen, and Shadow Stalker carried on. "It's fine now. I promise."

"Have you stopped drinking the high grade?" Smokescreen asked.

Shadow Stalker frowned. "I still have half a cube before recharge. It helps."

"It's a bad habit."

Shadow Stalker looked down at the cards in her hand, and smiled at her four of a kind. "I'm out, and look who's talking. We're gambling while in the middle of Therapy session."

"Whatever. Just show your four of a kinds and see who won."

Ratchet turned his over. "Four priests."

Shadow Stalker scowled. "Four Primes!" She quickly smiled. "I win! You're just lucky we don't play for credits inside the Therapy room!"

Ratchet rolled his optics. "Whatever."

Smokescreen leaned back in his chair. "Alright. To get rid of bad habit. It helps to know what caused it in the first place. I gamble because I get bored easily. If I don't have anything to keep my hands and brain intensely busy, I gamble!"

"Wait. My issues don't keep you intensely busy?"

"No."

"Oh."

"Why do you drink before recharge?"

"Nightmares."

"What do you mean nightmares?"

"I've always had nightmares. I found that drinking high grade before recharge helps keep them away."

"Nightmares of what?"

"Nothing." Shadow Stalker looked away.

"Alright. You don't wanna say, that's fine. You're going to have to find something else besides high grade to use though. No more high grade."

"We talked about it last time. I know, but I need that high grade."

Ratchet made a coughing sound. "You do not need the high grade."

"I'm pretending like you're not here Ratchet!"

"I can give you something to help you go into recharge."

Shadow Stalker turned to Smokescreen. "Can he do that?"

"Well, yeah, but that's just replacing high grade with medication. Not much better."

"I'll tell you what. I'll try it your way, Smokescreen until our next appointment next decaorn, but if I have horrible nightmares again, I'm going to Ratchet."

Smokescreen nodded. "That's fine." Smokescreen pulled a data pad out of his desk. "This is a dream journal. Since you won't tell me what dreams you have, you're going to write them down in here. If you don't do it, you can't go to Ratchet." He passed the data pad over to Shadow Stalker. "You're free to go."

"Thanks for giving me permission. I totally wouldn't have left if you hadn't of given it to me." Shadow Stalker rolled her optics as she stuck the data pad into her sub space.

"You're just using sarcasm to cover up your troubled soul."

"Shut up, Smokescreen!" Shadow Stalker yelled as she ran out of the room.

Smokescreen sat at his desk, and smiled. "Sorry to have her appointment cut into your time Ratchet. How have you been since our last visit?"

* * *

Shadow Stalker peeked into Optimus' office. "Hey big guy!"

Optimus peeked up from his data pad. "Hello."

Shadow Stalker smiled. "Prowl caught me a while ago. I had to watch Blue until he was calm again."

"Why are the Twins in the brig, but not you?"

"I can handle an over talkative kid."

"Is that because you were one?"

"I- I suppose I was." Shadow Stalker paused and looked up at the ceiling. "Blue didn't talk this much before Praxus. I asked him why he does now, and he said he didn't like thinking about Praxus, so he just keeps talking." Optimus nodded for the femme to continue.

"I was the same way. I started in the Gladiator's arena when I was pretty young, around Blue's age. I worked for admissions. I had to watch the battles though. It was scary for me back then. I kept talking as much as I could to get the images out of my helm, but there's nothing to get images out of your helm when you recharge."

Optimus leaned back. "I've never heard that about you before."

Shadow Stalker shrugged. "Your turn."

Optimus smirked. "When I was younger, I stole an energon treat from a store."

Shadow Stalker laughed. "Badaft. You might not wanna let anybody hear about that. You might end up imprisoned!"

"Oh yes, I'll be imprisoned, and made and outcast of society. I just might have to drag you down with me."

"Not without a fight."

"You'll win that one, I'm sure."

Shadow Stalker nodded with triumph, and the room fell into a comfortable silence. "Optimus?"

"Yes?"

"Wanna go get some high grade?"

"Smokescreen has informed me that you are not to have any. At all."

"Scrap."

Optimus smiled. "I will admit though, it sounds nice."

"Come on. Just a little bit."

"No."

"Frag."

Optimus smiled. "I haven't had my evening ration yet though."

"Too bad you have all those data pads to finish."

"Too bad you have a dream journal to forge."

"I was not going to forge it!" Optimus raised an optic ridge. "Much."

Optimus laughed. "Do yourself a favor. Take the journal seriously. I'd hate for the last thing you see every orn be Ratchet."

Shadow Stalker froze. "Now that would cause some serious nightmares."

Optimus smirked as he passed a group of Data pads to Shadow Stalker. "The faster we finish. The faster we get to refuel."

Shadow Stalker smiled. "Yeah." Shadow Stalker smiled. The only thing she could think of was The small cube of high grade she had in her subspace so she could spike Optimus' and her energon.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I am wearing the most comfortable thing right now. A nice fleece pair of footie pajamas. I love them. I don't think I'll ever take them off...**

**REVIEWS!**

**Autobot Trapjaw: Oh, don't we all. Smokey would be an amazing therapist. well, you know, besides his gambling issues. XD**

**Autobotschic: XD She is very devious, and I would like to make it clear that I love her to pieces! Thank you!**

**Premagna: Who knows.. XD We'll see!**

**Bee4ever: She is! Aww! Some people are so lucky! There's nothing like that around where I live. I'm just in a desserted town in the middle of nowhere. The nices car I ever see is Camaros, and the occasional corvette (which is pretty freaking nice, but no terror twins.) **

* * *

Optimus took a deep breath as Ratchet walked out of his office. That mech had been on his back since he found out he wasn't getting enough recharge. Optimus' office door opened, and Shadow Stalker walked in while looking over her shoulder and into the hall. "Ratchet just shoved Prowl out of his way, and into the wall. Who made him so mad?"

"I'm afraid I did."

"I'd be afraid too." Shadow Stalker smirked. "So, how has your day been, you know, besides being scared for you life because you made Ratchet mad?"

Optimus smirked. "I have been finishing datapads at a slow rate, and have been making Prowl upset as well."

Shadow Stalker shook her helm. "You've just been getting under everybody's armor haven't you?

"Do tell. What have I done to you?" Optimus leaned back in his seat.

"You told on me."

"To Smokescreen?"

"You told Smokescreen?" Shadow Stalker looked betrayed.

"I was just asking how I told on you. Should I have told Smokescreen something?"

"No."

"I see. Who did I tell on you to?"

"Don't act innocent, Prime!"

"I am not acting, Stalker."

The two stared at each other for a moment. "I don't like to be called Stalker."

Optimus smirked at the femme. "Because it mirrors your inner personality?"

Shadow huffed. "You told Red Alert I was stalking him so he would glitch out!"

"I did."

"That's low. Even for you, Optimus."

Optimus chuckled as he turned back to the data pads on his desk. "Ratchet was upset because I haven't been getting enough recharge."

Shadow Stalker sat down on the edge of Optimus' desk. "Maybe you should get more recharge."

"I have not been able to recharge much since..." Optimus trailed off.

Shadow Stalker looked down to the ground. She still envied Elita-One. She had Optimus' spark even when she was gone. "Recharge is important, Optimus. If it's nightmares, you can always drink highgrade before recharge."

"It's not nightmares. It's memories. Happy memories."

"I don't see the problem."

"Memories of Elita. It's been a while, but I still miss her, and seeing those memories, remembering all the time we had together, my spark just aches. I don't know if you've ever felt like that but-"

"Yeah, because I'm such a heartless glitch, I've never felt what loss feels like. I just offline everything in my path, and never look back."

"Shadow, I did not mean it like that."

Shadow Stalker stood up. "I know. It's just. I know what it feels like to lose something, and I know what if feels like to gain something that's so much more than what you lost. You just have to look hard enough."

Optimus looked down at the data pads on his desk, and nodded. "I see. I am sorry if I hurt you-"

"You didn't hurt my feelings. I have to go meet up with Sideswipe. I'll talk to you later."

Optimus nodded. "I look forward to it."

Shadow Stalker smiled as she left the room. She walked purposefully down the halls. She turned a corner and stopped at the door next her's. Elita's old quarters. There was a stack of empty crates by the side of the door. Nobody ever cleaned it out.

::Hey Prowl? It's Shadow Stalker::

::Yes?::

::Have you given anybody the job of cleaning out Elita's quarters?::

::Fledge was assigned to do it after he is released from Med bay. Why?::

::Do you mind if I do it?::

Prowl's end of the link was silent for a moment. ::It's fine. Are you sure though?::

::Yeah. I'm sure. Thanks Prowl::

::Of course. Prowl out::

Shadow Stalker typed in the default code for all rooms, and walked in, carrying a couple of crates with her. Elita-One's quarters were just as she had expected them to be. They were tidy, not a thing was out of place. Everything was organized into labeled crates, or on shelves. There was a single holocube on the small desk.

Shadow Stalker activated the holocube, and watched the holograms. The fist one was of Optimus smiling and waving. The next was of Elita-One and Optimus in the Iacon crystal garden. Shadow Stalker could see the Iacon library in the background, well, the ruins of the Iacon library.

Shadow Stalker turned off the cube. She placed it in an empty crate, and moved on. She pulled the crates out of the small storage closet, and began digging through them. There was a small data pad labeled "Diary" which went straight into the crate with the holocube.

There were a couple of blank Data pads which went into a crate by themselves to be recycled. Shadow Stalker grabbed a small stylus. It was one that she had seen in Iacon before the war. A small charm hung from end. Iacon corner stands loved to sell them. They were cute, and when Shadow Stalker went into Iacon on one of her rare off days, she would always look at the new stylus's.

Elita's stylus had a small crystal charm. A crystal replica of Iacon tower. Shadow Stalker placed the stylus with the Diary and holocube. She glanced around a sighed. "This is going to take awhile. Why does she have so much scrap anyways."

* * *

Shadow Stalker soon finished the room off. She had found a lot of memory chips with pictures of Elita and Optimus. Each picture seemed special, each one taken in a different setting. Looking at them made Shadow Stalker just that much more envious, but where was the point in being envious of an offlined femme?

Shadow stalker moved two crates of recyclables into the hall, and by the door so the mechs on recycle duty would know there was more inside the room. She grabbed a crate with personal belongings, and hefted it up. She would take the crate to Optimus since he was to be her bonded.

::Shadow Stalker to Prowl::

::Shadow Stalker, it's..:: There was a pause in the comm. ::Very late::

Shadow Stalker snorted as she checker her internal clock ::Very late or just really early?::I just wanted to let you know I'm done::

::Yes, that's great. Tell me in the morning. I'm going to pretend you didn't wake me up::

::Jerk. Shadow Stalker out::

Prowl was right. It was late. She would be recharging like a sparkling right now. She sat down by the side of the door, and placed the crate on her lap. All this stuff was Elita-One's. The femme she hated. She could just incinerate it all, and tell Optimus it was a mistake. He would never forgive her though. "Even when you're terminated, you just can't leave me alone, can you?"

"Who are you talking to?"

Shadow Stalker jumped. "Sideswipe!" She growled. "I wasn't talking to anybody."

Sideswipe sat down on the ground next to her. "Prowl made you clean out Elita-One's quarters? Jerk. He knows you-"

"Shut up. I cleaned it out on my own. He was going to make Fledge do it after he got out of the Med bay."

Sideswipe nodded. "Wanna talk?"

"No. Wanna prank somebody?"

"Not really in the mood." Sideswipe sighed. "Sunny's mad at me because I did something. He locked me out of the room."

"You're being kind of stingy with details."

"I don't even know what I did!" Sideswipe griped. "He just comes up to me, punches me, and then kicks my aft right out of the room. He even changed the locks! Can you believe that?"

Shadow Stalker laughed. "You really did it this time, mech."

Sideswipe shrugged. "You know. You should just tell Prime how you feel."

"I don't... That's not even what I was upset about! Besides, that's not the best option. He still misses Elita-One. He doesn't nee- He doesn't want me."

"That's ridiculous! He wants you." Sideswipe scooted closer to Shadow Stalker. "Remember that hott femme I met?"

"Yeah, and I told you to just get out there and make her beg for you?"

"Yeah. You should make Prime beg for you."

"Sideswipe, you failed miserably. She literally threw you down the stairs of that bar."

Sideswipe shrugged. "She begged for me though."

"She begged for you to leave." Shadow Stalker laughed. "Then she started making out with Sunstreaker."

Sideswipe's optics widened. "Sunny?"

"Yeah."

"I didn't know about that part."

Shadow Stalker laughed. "He walked up to her, and told her that he was an artist. Apparently, she had a thing for them."

Sideswipe snorted. "Artist my aft. He scribbled on a piece of scrap metal, and it's automatically art."

"I've never understood art either."

The two sat in silence for a while. Sideswipe finally stood up, and offered Shadow Stalker a servo. "Let's go prank Sunny."

Shadow Stalker placed the crate on the ground next to her, and accepted Sideswipe's servo. "Just let me take this thing to my quarters." She grabbed the crate, and typed in her rooms code. The door slid open, and Shadow Stalker placed the crate in the corner of her room.

"You know, I've never seen your quarters before"

Shadow Stalker shoved Sideswipe out of the way before he got a peek. "And you never will."

"So mean!"

Shadow Stalker laughed. "Alright. What are we going to do?"

"Automatic Paint shooter when he walks out of the room?"

"No."

"Metal teeth that go all the way across the door so the only way he gets out is to scratch his paint?"

"Are you an evil genius?"

"Not yet."

* * *

Shadow Stalker sat on the ground sharpening the edges of sturdy strips of metal as Sideswipe welded the metal strips onto the doorway. The strips wove together like a zipper. The teeth were pointed and sharped to scratch Sunny's delicate paint.

Shadow Stalker occasionally smirked when Sideswipe heard a sound from the room, and froze, then continued on after a couple of seconds of silence. "Sunny isn't all that quiet of a recharger, is he?"

"Not really. He thinks he beautiful at everything he does, but recharging? Not so much."

Shadow Stalker smirked. "Funny."

Sideswipe smiled as he welded another strip into place. "So, Optimus..."

"Shut up. He's still obsessed over Elita-One. I know they were in lovey love, and it's normal to grieve an all, but even the mention of something relatively related to Elita-One just rubs that mech the wrong way."

Sideswipe shook his helm. "Not the sympathetic type, are you?"

"I don't like the idea of morning the loss of somebody."

Sideswipe held out his servo for another metal strip. "Why not? It's normal, like you said."

Shadow Stalker stabbed the strip of metal into Sideswipe's servo, and smirked as he cursed at the intensely small amount of pain. "It's not something I find as an advantage. You and Sunny should already know this. Morning for a loss doesn't do anything. Compared to the bigger picture, all of us are nothing but a miniscule insects. We don't matter in the long run. We're all going to offline, and we're all going to feel pain in our lives. We make these close relationships with each other, but we don't stop and think."

"Think about what?"

"We don't think about whether or not we can handle the pain of losing what we grew so close to."

Sideswipe sat silently as Shadow Stalker continued sharpening the strips of metal. He glanced up at her and frowned. "Where'd you learn that?"

"My own experiences mostly, but somebody close to me beat the details into my helm."

Sideswipe nodded. "Sunny and I learned a similar thing in the gladiatorial rings. It was after we were matched against a pair of our friends. It was kill or be killed. We had no choice."

The pair sat in relative silence as they finished the work on their prank. The earlier conversation was behind them at this point. Both decided to leave the morbid topic behind them. Sideswipe stood up and backed away to get a better view of his ingenious plan. "How does it look?" He smiled.

Shadow stalker glanced down beside her at the huge pile of sharpened strips of metal. "You didn't even use all the metal strips I made, Fragger!"

Sideswipe laughed. "Of course not! I just had to have you doing something so you wouldn't get in my way!"

Shadow Stalker glared at the mech. "Really?"

"Yep!"

"I hope you burn! Burn like a thousand barrels of acid were poured on your helm!"

Sideswipe frowned. "Ow."

Shadow Stalker smiled. "But other than that, we did good!"

Sideswipe walked to the other side of the hall, and set up a small camera. "I want it on film."

"Send me a copy."

Sideswipe laughed. "Of course."

::Shadow?::

Shadow Stalker waved at Sideswipe as he ran off down the hall. ::Yes?::

::Where are you?:: Optimus' end of the comm link was slightly frazzled.

::In the hallway by Sideswipe and, well, technically it's only Sunstreaker's room now::

::What?::

::Nothing. What's up?::

::Will you come to surveillance room?::

::No::

::Shadow::

::On my way. See ya, Optimus::

::Thank you::

Shadow Stalker frowned as she ended the comm. Something about that seemed off. Sure it was late enough now that most day shift bots on base would be up, but Optimus usually didn't comm her this early.

Shadow Stalker sighed and pushed her thoughts away. He had to of had a good reason, or he wouldn't of done it. She froze in the middle of her walk to the surveillance room. "Slag!" She quickly turned and ran down the hall. Opening a comm to Sideswipe. ::RUN IDIOT RUN!:

::What?::

::Optimus just called me to the surveillance room! Prowl most likely caught us!::

::He called you too? Where are you going to hide?::

::Where I always hide! Good luck, Sides!:: Shadow Stalker quickly ended the comm link as she ran down the hall. She made a couple of quick turns, and slide to the side of the hall where she knew a blind spot in the camera system was.

Shadow Stalker glanced up at the ceiling, and smirked as the open vent. "When will mechs learn?" She jumped and grabbed ahold of the vent's edges, and pulled herslef in.

::Shadow, please remove yourself from the vents::

::Optimus!::

::Red Alert recently attached camera's inside the vents just in case decepticons sneak in through them. I am trying to help, truly I am, but I can't if you don't go to the surveillance room. AKA the only room without camera's Prowl can look into::

::Oh. You're a smart bot:: Shadow Stalker ended the comm, and quickly crawled her way through the vents, and stopped at the one above the surveillance room. Optimus sat in front of the screens watching the movements of different bots.

Shadow Stalker climbed out of the vent and landed with a quiet thud. The ventalation cover landed with a thud right before her. Optimus turned to her, and nodded.

Shadow Stalker waved silently as she grabbed the cover of the vent, and pulled a chair over. She stood on the chair, and shoved the cover into place. "So, my accomplice?"

Optimus smiled. "What accomplice? I was simply bored and wanted company. It was almost Sideswipe's shift, and I was only him to remind him of his appointment with the monitors."

Shadow Stalker jumped off her chair, and sat down. "You are one sneaky aft bot."

Optimus shrugged. "I also would like to know who thought it was a good idea to leave those strips of metal outside Sunstreaker's quarters."

Shadow Stalker laughed at Optimus' rememberance of it being only Sunstreaker's room now. Then she abruptly frowned. "Oops." She turned back to Optimus, and smiled as his smirking face. "You'll give me an alibi right?"

"I will delete the recorded evidence of you and Sideswipe."

Shadow Stalker smiled as she gave Optimus a hug. "This is why I love you!" She quickly gave the mech a kiss, but quickly pulled away. She covered her mouthplates. Did she seriously just kiss Optimus on the mouthplates. Please tell her she didn't just do that. She gave a glance to Optimus who had wide optics. Well frag.

"Sorry, Optimus I have to go!" Shadow Stalker yelled as she sprinted out of the room, and down the hall. SHE WAS SO STUPID!


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: AAAAHHHH! I just finished all my finals and everything! I had a little scare about a week ago. My laptop had to be completely reverted to factory settings, and I lost all progress I had. Sad Face.  
**

**REVIEWS!**

**Anonymous BW FG: XD Prime is a stinker! MMMMhhhh It sounds delicious! XD I would be stuffed too! Of course there wouldn't be anything left with me there either. XD**

**(CH 6) : It would be scary! I'd have nightmares just from that! XD I'm so mean to Ratchet. XD I hated basketball. Down right hated it.**

**Autobot Trapjaw: XD I know right! She's a maniac! XD**

**Autobotschic: XD Thank you! XD I sometimes think about what it would take to get some of my characters copyrighted, but then I think about some fact I got from the new Transformers Universe game that's about to come out next year, Hasbro has over 11,000 transformers. Most of which have never been used. I then mope and start to think that most likely any name I come up with is definitely taken. XD**

**Bee4ever: I know! XD**

**Lunar Mist: Wouldn't he? XD That's a brilliant idea.  
**

**Trapjaw belongs to Autobot Trapjaw! She is not mine! Shadow Stalker belongs to Autobotschic! She isn't mine either, Shadow stalker, not Autbotschic. Well, I guess I don't own her either...  
**

* * *

Shadow Stalker squeezed her helm as she completely freaked out in Smokescreen's office. "I was an idiot! I didn't even think about it! I ju-just ki-ki-kissed him!"

Smokescreen stared at the door way that she busted though. "Okay, Shadow Stalker, I have a free time slot in ten breems. Come back then, and we'll talk."

"I can't!"

"Listen. I'm in the middle of Sunstreaker's session. Somebody put metal teeth on his doorway, and working on calming him down. He has anger issues, and this is his anger management class for the week."

Shadow Stalker turned to Sunstreaker who sat on the couch glaring dangerously at everthing. "This class pisses me off."

Shadow Stalker would have laughed at the scratched up mech's comment, but this wasn't really the time. "Smokescreen, if you don't help me right now, I'll stuff your desk up your exhaust pipe!"

Smokescreen stood still for a while. "I would say you don't have the processor for that, but I know I'd be wrong. Sunstreaker, you can go get your paint fixed now, but I want you back here before you kill your brother!"

Sunstreaker stomped out of the room, steam would be blowing out of his helm if cybertronians had water anywhere in their bodies.

Shadow Stalker flung herself face first onto the couch. "JUST OFFLINE ME NOW!"

Smokescreen rolled his optics. "How I wish I could. Listen just because you kissed Optimus doesn't mean the world is over."

"Not THE world, but MY world." Shadow Stalker mumbled.

"Yeah, okay." Smokescreen sighed as he sat at his desk watching the femme mope. "Did you come in here to mope, or to talk?"

"I don't know what to do!"

"You're stupid. Just go apologize to him!"

"What if I'm not sorry."

Smokescreen smirked. "Dirty femme."

Shadow Stalker sat up. "He probably hates me. He thinks I'm some pleasure bot trying to get close to him because he has a high title!"

"Are you a pleasure bot?"

"Shut your fragging slag hole! What do I do? I want to keep him as a friend, but it would be all awkward. Can I just ignore him? That sounds like a good idea. Avoid him until he has had enough time to forget what happened."

Smokescreen shrugged. "Listen, the worst thing you can do in this situation is ignore the mech. That would be the most detrimental thing you can do for your friendship."

Shadow Stalker stood up. "You're right. No ignoring, or avoiding."

Smokescreen turned his helm to the side. "What are you going to do femme?"

"Nothing."

Shadow Stalker turned to the door, and ran out, leaving Smokescreen to himself. "What is that femme planning.

* * *

Shadow Stalker took a deep breath before walking into the med bay. "Ratchet, take me out of my misery! I pulled the prank of Sunstreaker!" Shadow Stalker instantly flintched, preparing herself for the impending Wrench of doom.

Nothing came.

Shadow Stalker glanced up. There was only a white femme staring at her, while holding a paint brush, standing in front of a pissed off Sunstreaker. "Shadow?"

"Trapjaw?" The two femmes stared at each other. "What are you doing here? Where's Hatchet?"

"Ratchet is in the back filling out paperwork. I'm his new apprentice."

"Can you hurry up. If you don't hurry and apply the paint, the layers will dry uneven!" Sunstreaker butted in.

"Hey! Jerkwad! Leave her alone! She can go at her own slagging pace!" Shadow Stalker screamed.

"I wouldn't have to be a jerkwad if you didn't do this to me!"

"Shadow! Leave him alone!" Trapjaw crossed her servos at the femme. "He's right anyways. I'll talk to you later, alright. Meet me in front of the medbay around mid orn, and we can refuel together, alright?"

Shadow Stalker nodded. "Alright." She ran up to the femme and gave her hug. "I missed you."

Trapjaw let out a laugh. "I would expect so."

Shadow Stalker released the femme before she ran to the back of the med bay, and burst through Ratchet's office door. "Ratchet."

Ratchet had a scowl on his faceplates. "What the frag is wrong with you?"

"I just wanted to let you know. I was the one who glued the tools to the ceiling." Shadow Stalker didn't even have time to flinch before the wrench connected painfully with her helm, and her systems shut down from the medic's precise aim.

* * *

Shadow Stalker onlined her optics to the gray of the hallway. "Fragging medic didn't even give me a berth in his med bay."

"I suppose he didn't."

Shadow Stalker jumped as she turned to the sound of the voice. Trapjaw sat on the ground in her alt mode. A pure white Cyber-wolf. Her sapphire blue optics peered down at Shadow Stalker with disappointment. "Do you want to tell me what that was about?"

"No?"

"Try again."

"Yes?"

"Then get started."

"It's a really long story, and My helm hurts, a lot." Shadow Stalker rubbed her helm to make a point.

Trapjaw just stared at her with icy optics. "It's not actually your helm that is hurting."

"What?"

"It the neural respondents in your neck. That's where the wrench hit. The respondents are heading to your processor to report the damage, but the relays are sending in scrambled information that's making you think it's your helm."

Shadow Stalker stared at the femme. "What?"

Trapjaw rolled her optics. "Nevermind."

"I guess I can tell you over a nice cube of highgrade."

Trapjaw huffed. "You can tell me over a nice mid grade energon."

Shadow Stalker sighed. "Fine."

Trapjaw nodded standing up, and walking down the hall, her tail standing up in pride.

Shadow Stalker smiled. "Would you get upset if I pulled your tail?"

"Leave my tail alone!"

* * *

Shadow Stalker watched Trapjaw consume her energon. The cube was on the ground as She licked it up instead of transforming into bipedal mode, and drinking it like a normal bot. "What's your advice."

Trapjaw looked up at Shadow Stalker. "Sounds like you slagged up majorly. It would common sense just to confess to the bot."

"Were you not listening to me? His Pre bonded just offlined not long ago!"

Trapjaw rolled her optics. "She was his pre bonded. Not his bonded. There is a difference. Your creators were prebonded. Mine were bonded."

Shadow Stalker glared at the femme. "Always have to bring up the sires, don't you?"

"I am not downing your sire, I'm just saying that like my sire, you still have a chance to get the femme, well, mech in your case."

Shadow Stalker frowned at the femme on the ground. "I don't think so. Every day he looks at that hologram of Elita-One with such passion, and sadness. He wouldn't ever look at me with that look if I just vanished."

Trapjaw shook her helm, and stood up. "Just take a chance. Chances are good."

Shadow Stalker picked up Trapjaw's now empty energon cube, along with her own. "No, they're not."

"I want to meet this mech."

Shadow Stalker frowned. "I'm not stupid! I'm not going to go talk to the mech like nothing happened!"

"Maybe that's the answer. If you're happy where you are, in the friend zone, then pretend like nothing happened. Pretend like the kiss meant nothing to you."

"But it did."

"That's why I said pretend."

Shadow Stalker nodded. "Alright. I'll take you."

"Good." Trapjaw nudged Shadow Stalker's servo. "I want to meet the mech who melted your sorry spark."

"Snarky." Shadow Stalker smirked as she threw the cubes into the recycling container.

"Being related to you, a bot has to be."

"Ouch. That hurt."

"I'm sure your sorry hide can handle it."

* * *

Shadow Stalker walked up to the door. Right before she went to open it she turned around, and walked down the hall. "I can't do it! Walking away now! I'll never return to that slagging office if it's the last thing I do!"

Trapjaw watched the femme walk away. She allowed her to get to the end of the hallway before she called out. "Shadow."

Shadow Stalker let out an aggravated shout. "I don't want to!"

"Yes, you do."

"No, you want me to!"

Trapjaw rolled her optics. "I may have only been under Ratchet for a couple of Joors, but I'm about ready to start flinging wrenches." Shadow Stalker began giggling. "What?"

Shadow Stalker walked up to Trapjaw, and bent down to get in her face. "What's it like? Being _under_ Ratchet."

Trapjaw's optic widened as she turned her helm away. "Not like that!"

Shadow Stalker stood up smugly. "Oh really?"

Trapjaw turned to Shadow Stalker with a glare. "At least I didn't kiss Optimus!"

Shadow Stalker's mouth fell open. "I- You- I- ngh!'

Trapjaw smiled with achievement. She tapped the Prime's door with her tail, and bit onto Shadow Stalker's hand to keep her from running away. The door opened, and Trapjaw pulled Shadow Stalker into the room.

Prowl stood in front of the desk, as Optimus's optics widened. "Sh-Shadow!"

Shadow Stalker began trying to pull herself away from Trapjaw, but was only met with failure. She put on her best tough face, and walked forward. "Hey Optimus! I just wanted to introduce you to somebody!"

Optimus looked confused for a moment, until he smiled. "I see. I would love to meet them, although kiss- I mean- this moment is not the best time."

"Yeah, I'll just bring her back to later to. I'll make out- I mean- sure that your free before I come back."

The room was awkwardly silent for a while. Nobody spoke, but the smirks on Trapjaw and Prowl's faces said a lot. They were enjoying this.

"You don't have to. Prowl will done here in a couple of mooches –I mean- Moments. I should be free in about a joor. Just some back then. I'll be expecting you."

Shadow Stalker nodded before she walked off, Trapjaw in tow. The door shut, and Prime's helm hit the desk.

"Is there something you wish to talk about, sir?" Prowl asked.

"Mute it, Prowl."

"Perhaps it has something to do with a kiss?"

"Prowl!"

"Oh. Did You kiss Shadow Stalker?"

"No!"

"So she kissed you?"

Optimus groaned as Prowl smiled. "I am sorry. I have been talking with Jazz too much. His habits of "Making fun" at others has rubbed off."

"You should be a Decepticon, Prowl." Optimus groaned.

Prowl shrugged. "I would prefer not to get slag thrown back at me."

Optimus sat back up. "Where were we?"

"Shadow Stalker kissing you."

"Prowl!"

"I am sorry. You had one more data pad to sign." Prowl stood perfectly still as Optimus read through the last data pad. "Did you like it?"

"Prowl!"

'I couldn't help it."

* * *

Shadow Stalker covered her face with her servos. "I hate you all!"

Trapjaw smiled. "I'm sorry. It was only natural for both of your processors to be stuck on that moment. It was either that good of a kiss, or that traumatic."

"Shouldn't you back with Ratchet by now."

"I will go back when I am ready. Which just so happens to be tomorrow as instructed by Ratchet."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I'm not happy with the begining, middle or end of this chapter, so I'm sorry for the suckiness in advance. I got writers block, and this was best I could crap out. XD I'm sorry. That wasn't funny.**

**REVIEWS  
**

**Autobot Trapjaw: XD I just thought of that too, I answered it in this chapter XD How did I not think of that? XD we got a Ratchet launcher over here!  
**

**Anonymous BW FG: XD That's awesome! I want to do an interview thing like that, but one of the things that are holding me back, is I would be the person asking sucky questions like "What's your name?" "How old are you?" "When is your birthday? I mean, Creation orn?" XD  
**

**Minimus Prime: XD SAVE THE CHAIR!  
**

**Bee4ever: XD thank you! XD Prowl has a little youngling running around, and unfortunately can only have Jazz watch him in fear of anybody else handing the poor youngling energon treat after energon treat. XD  
**

**Autobotschic: XD I'm glad. I was worried, so I decided to try and put in something like a relationship me and my brother have. XD  
**

* * *

Trapjaw dragged Shadow Stalker through the corridor. "Knock on the door, and go in."

"I don't want to." Shadow Stalker groaned.

"Do it." Trapjaw growled in response.

Shadow Stalker took a deep breath before she typed in the code and walked into the room without knocking. Trapjaw sat out in hallway looking around. "Did you just-"

"Hey." Shadow Stalker waved.

Optimus sat at his desk; A stunned look on his faceplates. "Shadow, I wasn't really, well I was expecting you, but that was about three joors ago."

"I just decided to pop in. I wanted to introduce you to my sister." Shadow Stalker motioned to Trapjaw, who walked in and sat on the ground.

"Sister?" Optimus felt his faceplates heat up as Trapjaw walked in. "You brought her in earlier."

Shadow Stalker rubbed the back of her helm. "Yeah. Um this i-"

"Trapjaw. I'm Ratchet's new apprentice."

"I didn't know Shadow had a sister."

"Different Sires. We're only half related." Trapjaw stared at Optimus with optics that dug into his very being. He felt like Prowl was reprimanding him for having Shadow Stalker doing his work again. No. It was worse. He felt like his Carrier was yelling at him for stealing that energon goodie.

"I, um, see. You are the one that was transferred in from Crystal City?"

"Yes. You're pretty nervous for a Prime." Trapjaw smirked as Optimus shifted in his chair. "I apologize for Shadow Stalker sexually harassing you."

"TRAPJAW!" Shadow Stalker grabbed her and sprinted for the door, leaving Optimus awkwardly sitting at his desk.

* * *

Shadow Stalker slid down the wall. "I can't believe you!"

Trapjaw smiled. "I can."

"Please stop. We were doing so well pretending like nothing happened."

Trapjaw rolled her eyes. "A spark could be brought into existence with all the friction that was in there."

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Shadow Stalker shot up, covered her audials, and began spinning in circles.

"You know, for you being the oldest, you're really immature!" Trapjaw flicked her tail at Shadow Stalker.

Shadow Stalker crossed her servos. "At least I don't run around in alt-mode all the time!"

Trapjaw glared at the femme in front of her for a couple of astrokliks before she stood up, and walked away. Shadow Stalker glared. "Where are you going?"

"Investigating."

Shadow Stalker groaned guiltily as soon as Trapjaw was out of sight. "I'm such an idiot." She silently walked down the hall in search of a nice long distraction.

* * *

Optimus sighed as he walked into Prowl's office. Prowl sat at his desk writing on a data pad as Jazz snickered. "Jazz, stop corrupting my second in command." He ordered as he sat a data pad on Prowl's desk.

Jazz just smiled. "I'm not the corrupter here, Mr. Smooch."

Optimus' optics widened as he turned to Prowl. "Prowl!"

"It was not me." Prowl shook his helm as he continued working on the data pad.

"Then who was it?" Optimus narrowed his optics at Jazz in hope of the care free mech breaking, but it was Jazz, and luck was not his side. Jazz simply smiled in return.

"Not me." Prowl answered as he quickly finished filling out his data pad, and picked up the one Optimus set on his desk. He stared at it for a second before a smirk crossed his faceplate. He quickly hid it, and sat the data pad down.

Jazz laughed as Optimus' narrowed at him even more. "I don' reveal mah sources! 'specially since ya shoulda known ya weren't in that room alone."

"Mirage." Optimus cursed. The gossip king of the Autobot army. He _should_ have known.

Jazz snickered again. "Mech always gets da best gossip."

The room went silent as Optimus started thinking of ways to silence Mirage, most of which were not very Prime like. Prowl sighed. "Bluestreak expressed his desire to join the Autobot army."

"Really?" Optimus asked, his interest peeking. Usually bots who had been through what Bluestreak went through didn't want to join a war that caused so much pain. They would remain neutral.

Prowl nodded. "He will be ready for his third frame in another vorn. It's not too far away. When he gets his upgrade he will be entered into our ranks."

"Has he decided what he wants to do?"

Jazz smirked. "Funneh story. He wants ta be a sharp shooter."

Optimus raised an optic ridge. "Really?"

Prowl nodded. "Apparently, Shadow Stalker has taken him to the range, and showed him all kinds of things, he decided that he liked the sniper position best."

Optimus nodded. "He'll be a natural. The training will be difficult, but I'm sure Ironhide will give him a good mentor." Optimus smirked at Prowl's doorwings as they rose up with pride.

Jazz laughed. "Look at Prowler, He's so proud!"

Optimus laughed. "So he is."

Prowl rolled his optics. "Sure." He brought his doorwings back down to neutral position.

Optimus smiled. "He's been with you for a while. I'm sure you've grown attached."

"Smokescreen seems to be more attached than I. He thinks that he can treat him like a tiny new spark." Prowl shook his helm.

"It's probably da only grand creation he'll evah get." Jazz snickered

"Anyways, I still have work to do. Jazz, leave before I decide to let Bluestreak practice with you."

"Cruel." Jazz mumbled as he stood up.

"Optimus, I cannot accept this data pad." Prowl offered the data pad back to Optimus

"Why not?"

"You have written Shadow Stalker's name all over it." Optimus snatched the data pad away. "I will assume it was the wrong data pad." Prowl smirked

"Mute it, Prowl. And stay out of my business, that's an order."

Jazz smirked at Optimus. "Now, about ya and Shadow."

"Jazz." Optimus warned.

"Aw, come on. Entertain a mech."

"Jazz. I'm serious!"

"Optimus, before you go," Prowl spoke up. Optimus turned to face his SIC. "I would like to remind you, we do still need a femme commander. Jazz cannot continue to be acting commander for much longer."

Jazz frowned. "But, ah like the job."

Prowl frowned. "As you can see, he can't continue." Optimus frowned. He didn't really want to think about that position much. "I'm sorry if it is a sore subject, but it has to be dealt with."

"I will leave you in charge of that, Prowl." Optimus sighed. "I do not think I can choose with a clear processor."

Prowl frowned. "Alright. Thank you for your time."

Optimus nodded as he turned back to Jazz who was smirking. "Ah can always get that procedure done to become a femme!"

Optimus shook his helm. "You could, but I would rather you not be berth jumping as my TIC, not that it stops you anyways."

Jazz laughed as the door closed behind them. "Harsh."

Optimus smiled. "I am only being honest."

"Wish ya weren't. Hurtin mah feelings." Jazz frowned. "Ah've been hanging with the femmes too much."

Optimus laughed. "Might as well prepare for that procedure."

"Ah think ya look pretty good as femme too." Jazz smirked. "Ah can see it happenin' Optima Prime."

Optimus' smile fell. "I hate you."

Jazz just laughed.

* * *

It took a while on her part, but Trapjaw found her mech. Autobot second in command, Prowl. The mech that was in the room with Optimus. She knocked on the door and waited for the door to open. She walked in, and sat down on the ground in front of Prowl's desk. "You're Prowl?"

"I am. May I ask who you are?"

"Trapjaw. Shadow Stalker's half sister."

Prowl raised an optic ridge. "What can I do for you?"

"I want to stick Prime, and Shadow in a cell together, and see what happens."

Prowl smirked. "I have a feeling I'll be punched for this, but please, carry on."

Trapjaw smiled. "Oh I will."

* * *

Shadow Stalker frowned as she passed a wrench to Ratchet. "I didn't even flinch until Trapjaw brought up the kiss."

Sideswipe flinched from under Ratchet's servo. "Yeah, that's nice."

"Sideswipe, hold still!" Ratchet yelled.

"Can't believe you- OW- kissed him." Sideswipe rubbed his newly attached arm.

"I got carried away. I can't believe Mirage told you." Shadow Stalker accepted the wrench back and placed it on a tray.

"Why are you in here, and not Trapjaw?" Ratchet began wiping his servos.

"Trapjaw said she wasn't supposed to be here until tomorrow."

"And she's right, but why the frag are you in here?" Ratchet glared.

"I had to talk to Sideswipe!"

Rachet raised an optic ridge. "Sideswipe? About love advice?"

"Yeeeaaahhh."

"He can't catch a femme if they groped his interface panel."

"HEY!"

"Yeah, I know, but there is nobody else." Shadow Stalker shrugged.

"HEY!"

Ratchet nodded. "Whatever."

Sideswipe crossed her servos, and jumped as one of them fell off onto the ground.

"I JUST FIXED THAT!" Ratchet grabbed a wrench and began beating Sideswipe over the helm.

Shadow Stalker covered her mouth as she laughed. The Med bay doors opened, and Prowl walked through. "Shadow Stalker, you are to report to the brig for pranking Sunstreaker."

"What?"

Prowl pointed out of the door. Sideswipe watched as Shadow Stalker stomped out. Prowl turned to Sideswipe. "I understand that you are involved as well, and I will accept an apology instead of brig time."

"W-what?

"If you do not wish to apologize, you can always clean the rec room for a decacycle."

"I'm sorry! I'll never do it again."

Prowl nodded. "Good. You are off the hook." Prowl quickly walked out of the med bay leaving Sideswipe and Ratchet staring where he once stood.

Sideswipe shuttered his optics. "Is he insane?"

"I do not know, but I believe it is time for a maintenance check on that bot."

* * *

Shadow Stalker walked into the cell and sighed as the energon bars flashed to life. Prowl nodded to her. "I will be back when it is time for your release."

Shadow Stalker grunted in return. "Yeah."

"Shadow?"

Shadow Stalker jumped. "Optimus?"

Optimus' optics lit up on the far side of the room. "Prowl brought you in too?"

"Um, yeah." Shadow Stalker glanced away awkwardly. "Um, listen, about that, um, incident?"

"Um, yes, the incident." Optimus nodded.

"I didn't mean- well I did- no wait! Ignore that! I wasn't thinking correctly, and –"

"I enjoyed it."

Shadow Stalker's optics widened. "What?"

"It was… Nice." Optimus stood up. "I am sorry though. I do not think it is wise to-"

"You're rejecting me?" Shadow Stalker nodded. "I figured. I mean, I wasn't going to say anything because of Elita-One. You just lost her, and-"

"I was going to say that I do not think it was wise to talk about this here." Optimus sighed. "Prowl, is listening in on the cameras."

"Prowl?" Shadow Stalker turned to the camera that made a nod like motion. "Sir."

Optimus nodded. "Who else is in there, Prowl?"

"Jazz, Bluestreak, Ratchet, and Sideswipe."

"Who else?"

"Trapjaw, Mirage, Ironhide, and Red Alert."

Optimus sighed. "Who else?"

"That is all, sir."

"Prowl." Optimus warned.

"Wheeljack, Hound, Warpath, Kup, Bumblebee, Sunstreaker, Smokescreen, and Ultra Magnus."

Shadow Stalker groaned. "You couldn't leave enough alone, could you?"

"No."

Shadow Stalker covered her face. "I hate you."

"I find this a good moment to congratulate you, Shadow Stalker."

Shadow Stalker looked up at the camera. "What for?"

"For your promotion to Femme Commander."

"No." Shadow Stalker shook her helm. "Absolutely not!"

Optimus frowned. "Prowl, I-"

"You gave me control over the choosing of the new femme commander. Shadow Stalker is perfect. If my calculation prove correct, she is the best choice."

Shadow Stalker shook her helm. "I don't want the position though."

The energon bars opened. "I believe it is best to talk of this without the extra onlookers. I will meet you in Optimus' office."

Shadow Stalker sighed as she walked through the brig. "I hate him."

Optimus shook his helm. "He should be a Decepticon. He also ignored an order. How much brig time is that?"

"Two orns." Shadow Stalker smirked.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Whoo! I just bandaged my wound, and I fell about fifty percent better! XD Anyways, I feel the need to tell all of you that we are approaching the end of this amazing story. I want to thank Autobotschic for letting me use her O.C Shadow Stalker, and Autobot Trapjaw for letting me use Trapjaw! I love them both! They are amazing! XD This isn't the last chapter! I have a couple of more planned, but I felt the need to thank you both, and everybody who reads, review, Favorited, and added the story to their alerts! **

**REVIEWS~  
**

**Bee4ever: XD isn't he! I love him to pieces!  
**

**Autobot Trapjaw: XD I thought that would be a nice touch. Things were going to well in that scene! XD Thank you!  
**

**Autobotschic: OH NO! Think of something sad! I don't need you doing something under the influence of maniacal laughter D=  
**

**Minimus Prime: XD right! It would go crazy, of course I can imagine a few things going wrong. For instance, Shadow Stalker confusing Ultra Magnus for Optimus. That would horrible!  
**

**Anonymous BW FG: XD My mom told me the other day that there are no stupid questions, only stupid people. She cracked me up. I still don't think I would be able to come up with questions cause all I can think of is "If you have 13 ice cubes, and I have 38, how many pancakes will fit on my roof?" and of course the answer would be, " Purple, because aliens don't wear hats." XD  
**

**Premagna: Oh they will! XD Thank you!  
**

* * *

Shadow Stalker sighed as she sat behind her desk. Even four vorns later, she had no idea how Prowl had pawned the position of femme commander onto her. It was awfully sneaky of him, that was for sure.

_Optimus and Shadow Stalker glared at the black and white bot behind the desk. Prowl sat calmly staring at them in return. "As I was saying. I believe Shadow Stalker would be the perfect bot for the position."_

"_I'll slag you for this, Prowl. I don't want the fragging position!"_

_Prowl shook his helm. "I believe you are just scared."_

"_I'm not scared!"_

"_Prove it." Prowl challenged._

"_I'll take the position, and I'll fragging show you!" Shadow Stalker stomped out of the room, and as soon as the door closed behind her she cursed. "Primus frag it! Prowl is good."_

* * *

Shadow Stalker allowed her helm to hit the desk. "I hate this job!"

Shadow Stalker jumped as the lights in her office flickered. "Again?" She slowly stood up and glanced around. "That was the fourth time today."

"Hello Shadow Stalker."

Shadow Stalker turned, activated her blaster, and aimed in a matter of Astroseconds. She gulped at the familiar bot in front of her. ::Commander Shadow Stalker, we have a problem!::

::Let me guess. Decepticons.::

::How did yo-:: Shadow Stalker cut the transmission.

"Ironblazer."

The mech smirked. "It's been awhile. Unfortunately, I have to terminate you. You've been causing quite a few problems for the Decepticons, young one."

Shadow Stalker sneared at the mech as he began walking around the room. "Frag you!"

"Not being a bad influence to the Prime are you?" Ironblazer's fist flew forward and struck Shadow Stalker in the gut.

Shadow Stalker let out a grunt as she hit the ground. It was silent moment as she stood up again. A wild smirk crossed her face. ""I'm a bad influence, sure." She picked up her blaster from the ground. "But, slag, am I fun or what?" She shot her blaster with such speed that it struck Ironblazer by surprise. He barely moved out of the way in time to dodge.

"There is a very fine line between fun, and dangerous, Young One."

"I'm not your fragging young one!" Shadow Stalker took a couple of more shots at the mech, missing each time.

::Commander, we've forced the cons into retreat! Should we follow?::

Ironblazer let out a long laugh. "I am sorry, my sparkling, but it seems my men are being overrun. I must make this meeting short." Ironblazer gripped Shadow Stalker's helm, and smashed it against the wall, letting her fall to the ground. "You have gotten weak. Perhaps it is the Prime that is the bad influence." He smirked as the lights flickered again, and he vanished.

Shadow Stalker groaned as her optics began to shuttered. "Slag." She muttered as she fell offline.

::Commander, what should we do? Commander!::

PG

Optimus sighed as he looked out on the city. ::Optimus to Ironhide::

::Ironhide here::

::How is the Ark coming along?::

::It should be ready. We still need some conductors::

Optimus sighed. ::Do you have any ideas on how to find some?::

::Wheeljack said he knew where some were, but the area is under Decepticon control::

::I see. Thank you, Ironhide. Prime out::

Optimus pulled a data pad out of his desk drawer, and stood up. "This is last thing I want to do." He left his office before walking down the hall and knocking on Prowl's door. The door opened and he stepped in. "We need to start centralizing Autobots to Iacon. I need it to be in movements that are not attention grabbing." He gave the data pad to Prowl.

Prowl nodded. "The Ark is almost complete?"

"Wheeljack said all he needs are some conductors. We will have him take as many at a time as he can. I want a bot with him all times."

Prowl nodded. "I see." Prowl looked over the data pad, and nodded again. "I will start making plans. Have you spoken to Shadow Stalker?"

"Shadow? No, I haven't. Why?"

"The sector she was positioned in showed Decepticon activity earlier this orn. I have not been able to get in touch with the base. That could be caused by the reported power outages though."

Optimus frowned. "Should we send help?"

Prowl leaned back. "Everything should be fine. If it wasn't they would have a bo-" A knock at the door interrupted Prowl. He quickly frowned. "Come in."

The door opened, and a femme walked in. "I was sent from the base near Kaon."

Optimus groaned. "Prowl."

Prowl nodded for the femme to continue. "I am part of the advance team. I am here to inform you that Commander Shadow Stalker, and the rest of the Autobots from the base are headed back to headquarters."

Optimus released a sigh. "How far behind you were they?"

"About an orn."

Optimus nodded. "Thank you."

The saluted before exiting the office. Prowl smirked. "You were worried for a moment there."

"Be quiet, Prowl. I need those plans sent to Ironhide, and Warpath as well."

Prowl nodded. "Of course."

* * *

Shadow Stalker paced along her sector's camp. They were pretty close to Iacon now. Her bots were exhausted. The Decepticons had packed a punch, that was for sure. Ironblazer though. That was a surprise. A very unwelcome surprise.

"Shadow Stalker?"

Shadow Stalker jumped and twisted around. It was only Chromia. Shadow Stalker released a sigh. Her second in command leaned against the side of the huge cliffs that surrounded them. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Thanks, Chromia."

Chromia frowned. "You don't seem fine. You are tired, just like the rest of us. Get some rest."

"I'm fine, really."

Chromia glared. "Get some rest or I'll blast your aft off!"

Shadow Stalker jumped, and frowned. She had learned not to challenge Chromia. She wasn't Ironhide's bonded for nothing. "Okay!" She slowly walked towards a clear spot on the ground, being eyed down by Chromia. "I'm not going to run off!"

"How do I know that?"

Shadow Stalker huffed. She laid down on the ground, and turned her back to dangerous femme. "Because!"

"That's not an answer. Rest. I'm going to go check on the others." Chromia walked past Shadow Stalker. "Stay." She smirked as she walked off.

Shadow Stalker offlined her optics. She relaxed at the darkness that greeted her. There were no nightmares yet. She let herself relax a bit more, and unintentionally fell into a light recharge.

_Energon leaked down from the blade she clutched in her servos. It slid off the hilt, and started dripping down onto her face. The bot above her went limp as his optics flickered off, and his mouthplates remained wide open from the screech he had bellowed out not two seconds before._

_The crowd went crazy. They cheered, and yelled in approval of the brutal act of murder they had just witnessed. Shadow Stalker's small servos began to shake. She dropped the sword, and the body fell to the side with it. Her scared optics flashed around the arena looking for the bot she had grown accustomed to being with. Ironblazer._

_She had finally located him, and looked at with tears in her optics. He stood proud at the entrance of the arena. His servos slowly began clapping as nodded with approval to the young Shadow Stalker._

Shadow Stalker shot up, her optics wide with fear, as she scrambled off the ground.

"Shadow Stalker?" Chromia came around the corner. She stopped short when she noticed the energon tears that started running down Shadow Stalker's face. "Hey, are you okay?" She slowly stepped forward with slow calculated movements. "Shadow Stalker?"

Shadow Stalker slowly wiped her optics, and shook her helm. "I'm okay." She finally found her voice, and straightened her body up from the hunch she was in. "Are the bots ready. It's about time we move out."

Chromia nodded. "They're ready. I was coming to get you. Are you sure that you're okay?"

Shadow Stalker sent a smile. "Just a bad dream. I'm fine."

PG

Optimus stood at his window waiting on the group from Kaon to return. They were due back a joor ago, and they have yet to arrive. Optimus' door slid open, and stomping sounded from the entrance. He quickly turned, and shuttered his optics.

Shadow Stalker glared at him. "Do you know what happened today?"

"No?"

"Oh I'll fragging tell you! I haven't had highgrade since the day before yesterday!"

Optimus snorted as he walked up to Shadow Stalker and wrapped his arms around her. "Really? I had a horrible day as well. I have been worrying over a certain femme, because she refused to comm. me and tell me that she was okay."

Shadow Stalker returned the hug. "I'd offline her."

Optimus chuckled. "Unfortunately I cannot. I believe I love her."

"She is one lucky femme." Shadow Stalker smashed her face against Optimus' chassis. "I was actually supposed to report to Ratchet."

"He can wait." Optimus refused to remove his servos from Shadow Stalker's waist.

"It's either I go, or Trapjaw comes and offlines me with her ratchets."

"Ratchet has rubbed off on her."

"I can't tell." Shadow Stalker smiled. "She's always been kind of crazy."

"I heard that!"

Shadow Stalker jumped as Optimus removed his arms. "Heh, Hey Trapjaw!"

"You were supposed to go directly to Ratchet. Chromia said you had an incident."

"Incident?" Optimus asked.

"It was nothing!" Shadow Stalker mumbled. "I'll come back as soon as Ratchet has his way with me.

Optimus raised an optic ridge. "Okay then?"

Shadow Stalker ran up to the big mech, and gave him a kiss. "You might get more tonight, if you're lucky."

"I haven't been having such good luck lately." Optimus joked.

Shadow Stalker laughed. "I can change that."

Trapjaw made a purging sound causing Shadow Stalker to roll her optics.

Trapjaw stood up and walked out of the room, flicking her tail sassily at the two. Shadow Stalker giggled. "I'm coming!" She gave Optimus one last peck before ran out behind Trapjaw.

Trapjaw sat outside Optimus' office, and stood up as Shadow Stalker ran out. "Any reason you ran to Optimus first? You usually do that when you need comforting."

"There's a reason for everything Trapjaw, so when I smack you upside the helm... remember, I have a reason."

Trapjaw snorted. "Well, when did you become such a smart aft?"

"As soon as I learned that I had to be so I could deal with Prowl properly."

Trapjaw laughed.

* * *

Shadow Stalker smirked as Trapjaw and her entered the med bay. "It has to be Mirage!"

"No." Trapjaw answered.

"Hound?"

"No!"

Shadow Stalker smirked as a certain red and white medic entered her field of vision. "Ratchet?"

"You really are no good at telling who a person likes, are you?"

Shadow Stalker shrugged. "You didn't say no."

"No, I'm not in love with Ratchet."

"You are a filthy lying Decepticon."

Trapjaw transformed, and rolled her optics. "Whatever you want your petty little processor to think. Sit on that berth right over there, and I'll go get the equipment I need."

Shadow Stalker smiled as she swung her legs from the berth. Ratchet walked past, and stopped before he backed up. "I didn't expect you to come in."

"Wait, you didn't send Trapjaw to come get me?"

"No."

"Fragging glitch!"

Ratchet smirked. "She's an over-achiever, that one."

Shadow Stalker crossed her servos as Ratchet walked off. Trapjaw walked up to the berth, and plugged a small computer into Shadow Stalker's neck port. "Who hit you on the back of the helm?"

"A wall."

Trapjaw raised an optic ridge. "Did you fall?"

"No, a Decepticon got a lucky shot, and slammed it against the wall before he made his escape."

"A lucky shot? Nobody gets a lucky shot on you, Shadow Stalker." Trapjaw typed a few things into the computer. "Chromia said she found you in stasis. Is the blow to the helm what caused it?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"You also have a slight dent on your abdomen."

"Yeah, and?"

Trapjaw let out an aggravated sigh. "Did the Decepticon get a lucky shot in then too?"

Shadow Stalker pursed her lip components. "Yes!"

"Somehow I doubt that. What happened?"

"Nothing." Shadow Stalker looked away from Trapjaw.

Trapjaw nodded. "Alright. Whatever. I was just worried. You're fine. The dents will pop out by themselves, and you don't have any real processor damage, or real problems besides being a pain in my aft."

Shadow Stalker stood up off the berth. "Thanks."

"Shadow, you know if anythings wrong, you can tell me."

"Yeah, I know."

Trapjaw frowned. "Sometimes I feel like you don't know. I only have one request, alright?"

Shadow Stalker turned to face Trapjaw. "What?"

"If anything bad happens, tell me."

Shadow Stalker nodded. "Alright."

Trapjaw pulled Shadow Stalker into a hug. "I'm serious. I'll hurt you if you don't."

Shadow Stalker chuckled. "Perceptor?"

"NO!" Trapjaw yelled pushing Shadow Stalker away. "I do not like Perceptor, or Wheeljack for that matter."

Shadow Stalker laughed. "Okay then!"


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Oh my gosh. I spent New years with my friends family, and I never want to see cards again. We played Spades, and I'm telling you, with this family, you better be commited to cards, cause Spades is a good five or six hour game XD  
**

**On a Trasformers related note. Any body signed up for Transformers Universe. I HAVE! I'm on the awaiting Call up for the beta, but I don't know. I decided for my name to be Unicronia XD I love that femme! The forums are up and I'm thinking about starting a Unicronians group XD  
**

**REVIEWS!  
**

**Autobotschic: XD That would be hilarious! Just having her walk up and be all seductive or something XD I did! I loved that quote, It gave her attitude! And made an impression! XD who wouldn't want to see an epic showdown between those two? I'm planning one right now, but I have to admit, I suck at action scenes, so I apologize ahead of time! XD Roddy! She should have guessed that! XD  
**

**Bee4ever: Thank you! and of course! XD  
**

**Anonymous BW FG: XD Prowl can never stay in his own business! XD I knew he was related to Barney! But my brother was all like "No, Ninja, he is not! I don't even see how you can watch that!" That was awesome, by the way. AMAZING!  
**

**Autobot Trapjaw: XD No, no she's not! She's got the muscles, she doesn't need the processor power all the time!  
**

* * *

Shadow Stalker glared at the black and white mech in front of her. "Jazz, I am not giving up my position for you, but you have free reign to flirt with my femmes all you want."

"Ah don' wanna flirt wit em!"

"I don't understand." Shadow Stalker was having a hard time keeping a straight face.

"Ah just wanna watch em."

Shadow Stalker couldn't hold it in anymore as she burst into rich laughter. "That's so fragging creepy!"

Jazz glared. "That's not what ah meant and ya know it!"

Shadow Stalker let her giggles out, re-applied her straight face. "I know. Okay, I don't know that."

"Ah wanna watch for spies! We're about ta launch da Ark, and Ah have suspicions of femme spies!"

Shadow Stalker leaned back in her chair. An intense weight washed over the office. "I understand, but Jazz, I can't just move out of my position for you. I can allow you to interrogate femmes you have the highest suspicions on, but that's about it."

Jazz looked down at the ground. "Ya know ah would nevah ask this of ya under any other circumstances, right?"

"Ask what?"

"Are ya a spy, Shadow Stalker?"

Shadow Stalker stared up at Jazz with disbelief. "What?"

"The info da Cons are gettin, ain't easy ta come by. The bot has ta be high in rank."

"So, you immediately assume me?" Shadow Stalker glared, her anger slowly boiling upwards.

"That's not what Ah-"

"No, it's okay." Shadow Stalker shook her helm. "Go ahead, get it out of your system. You're accusing me of passing info along to the Decepticons, and you have every right to, being head of special ops, and all." Sacasm flowed off her words, and formed pools on the ground.

"Shadow Stalker, ya know ah -"

"No. I understand." Shadow Stalker's anger reached her boiling point. "You think it's me, because I'm obviously the least trustable bot on this base!"

"Shadow-"

"Shut up, Jazz! I'm not the spy! Got it? If I was the spy I would have copied over every single scrap of info I had, and sent it over by now!" Shadow Stalker stood up quickly, and put her faceplates right up to Jazz's. "The Ark would be destroyed, and you most certainly wouldn't be here right now!"

"Shadow Stalker, Ah w-"

"No, Jazz, you weren't! I put too much effort into everything! I've done too much for the Autobot's to accused of being a spy now!"

Jazz smirked. "Ya got anger issues, femme."

Shadow Stalker glared at Jazz. "Smokescreen." She cursed.

Jazz chuckled into his servo. "Dat's funneh right there."

"Shut up, Jazz!" Shadow Stalker stomped out of her office. "I have a Praxian to kill." Shadow Stalker froze when she nearly bumped into a gray and red, adult Praxian.

"It's not me is it? Cause I didn't mean to drink your highgrade. Twins told me it was theirs and that I could have it, but I should have known it wasn't theirs cause they don't share anything, well, Sunstreaker doesn't share anything. Sideswipe sometimes shares things. He-"

"Bluestreak, I wasn't talking about you. I was talking about Smokescreen."

Bluestreak moved out of the way as Shadow Stalker pushed her way through, Jazz right behind her. "How ya doin', Blue?"

"I'm good, I just got here from a mission, and I reported to Prowl. He said I did a good job, and that I'm by far the best sniper the Autobots have."

"Tha's good." Jazz nodded.

Shadow Stalker glared behind her as the two continued to follow her. She wasn't surprised that the two followed her right into Smokescreen's office.

Smokescreen jumped as Shadow Stalker burst through his doors. "Shadow Stalker!"

"Your anger management classes piss me off!"

Smokescreen smiled at something behind Shadow Stalker. "Bluestreak! Did you come to visit your grand-creator?"

"Not really. I was just following Shadow because I was curious to where she was going!"

Smokescreen's smile faded. "Oh."

Shadow Stalker growled. "Listen here, Fragger! I don't want you messing with my helm anymore! I don't need your services anymore!"

Smokescreen brought his servos up in surrender. "Fine, fine."

Shadow Stalker nodded, as she turned and pushed back through Jazz, and Bluestreak. "And stop following me!"

Jazz smirked and Bluestreak frowned as she stomped off.

* * *

Optimus smiled as Shadow Stalker told him about her morning. "That sounded eventful."

"How was your day?" Shadow Stalker threw herself on the couch of Optimus' office. She had to admit. She missed sitting in here while Optimus worked. Now she had as much work as the big bot did, and couldn't really find the time to lounge in his office anymore.

"I sent Mirage with Wheeljack, and I am waiting on them to report back. That is as eventful as my day has been. Though, about your day, I have to say something. I do wish you wouldn't drink all the high grade you do. I know helps with your nightmares, but it is not good for your systems."

Shadow Stalker frowned. "I know."

"Trapjaw came to talk to me a couple of orns ago. She was worried about you because she hasn't seen you."

"I've been avoiding her." Shadow Stalker explained. "I don't really want to see her."

Optimus' helm fell tot he side. "May I ask why not?"

Shadow Stalker covered her eyes with her arm. "She's digging into things. She can't just accept a con got the better of me."

"I am afraid I cannot accept that either." Optimus sighed. "I have seen you in battle. You are not an easy bot to get the better of. I would image you would not be taking it well that a con did get the better of you."

Shadow Stalker scowled. "Get over it! It happened, okay?"

"I am willing to wait until you are willing to tell me what happened, but Trapjaw seems a little on edge."

"She worries." Shadow Stalker muttered. "It's not something to worry about though. I have it under control, and she knows better than to worry about every little con that gets a good hit in."

"He didn't simply get a good hit in. He hit you with enough force to knock you out. He could have offlined you, but you are lucky he did not."

Shadow Stalker rolled over onto her side to face the back of the couch. "I didn't expect to win that fight. I expected to offline then."

"Shadow, I do not understand." The sound of Optimus standing up, and walking over to the couch signaled Shadow Stalker to continue talking.

"I don't want to talk about it ,Optimus."

"Shadow Stalker, roll over."

"No."

"Shadow, please."

Shadow Stalker rolled over to Optimus sitting on the ground next to the couch. His optics were lit up with concern. "Whatever it is, it is fine to talk with me about it. I will not judge you over what happened."

"I'm not scared you'll judge me. It's just not something I want to talk about."

Optimus sighed. "I worry as much as Trapjaw does. We've always told each other everything. You even know about my wild youngling orns."

Shadow Stalker snorted. "If stealing an energon treat is considered wild, I don't even want to guess what my youngling orns would be labeled as."

"Wonderful." Optimus answered as he gave Shadow Stalker a kiss.

Shadow Stalker shook her helm as he pulled away. "Far from wonderful."

"Anything is wonderful with you there."

Shadow Stalker rolled her optics. "You, Prime, are hopeless."

Optimus smiled. "You, Stalker, are stubborn."

"I know."

"It would lift a burden on my spark if you would tell me what was bothering you."

Shadow Stalker frowned. "I don't- I don't think I can. The past has a way of coming back and biting you in the aft." Shadow Stalker sighed.

"I am aware." Optimus nodded. "My past caused a war."

"You and Megs used to get along so well, but you didn't cause the war. The war was coming anyways. Anybody who denies it is an idiot."

"We did get along well, but all things end."

Shadow Stalker nodded. "Yeah, I guess they do."

Optimus smirked as he pulled Shadow Stalker off the couch, and onto the ground with him. Shadow Stalker let out a screech of laughter. Optimus brought her into a hug. "I really do wish you would tell me."

"I know." Shadow Stalker returned the hug.

Optimus' door opened, and the two looked up. Prowl stood there with a blank expression. "I believe I will knock next time."

Shadow Stalker rolled her optics. "Funny. Ha. Ha."

Prowl nodded. "I had that one saved up for awhile."

Optimus shook his helm as he stood up, and then helped Shadow Stalker up. "What can I do for you Prowl?"

"Wheeljack and Mirage returned with another successful load."

Optimus nodded. "Good. How many more do we need."

"One more trip should do it. Ultra Magnus agreed to stay and command most of the troops while we are away."

Optimus nodded. "Good."

Shadow Stalker nodded as well. "Thank you, Prowl, you may go."

Prowl raised an optic ridge. "You are getting stingy with our Prime."

"You mean MY Prime?" Shadow Stalker smirked.

Prowl turned his nose up. "No I meant mine."

"Can you believe this mech? He gets us together, then he tries to steal you away!"

Optimus smirked. "I might be interested."

Shadow Stalker smacked Optimus' shoulder. "Frag you guys."

Optimus smiled. "Only if you insist."

Shadow Stalker laughed. "Smart aft!"


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:DO NOT HAVE TO READ THIS!**

** During winter break, I gained weight. Between Christmas, where all my family decides, "Hey, let's bring a lot of fried foods for Christmas dinner! Make sure there's endless bowls of food too, you know how Ninja Loves food!", and New Years at my friends family's house where I'm pretty sure her aunt was all like, "Oh, you're bringing a friend over, I'm going to make fried pig fat! (Which is delicious!)" I might have gained a lot. **

**Me being me, not very in touch with my feminine side, was all like. "Nobody will notice!" and I didn't have too much of a crisis over it. I got to school on Monday, and in Third period one of my friends walk up to me with determination in her eyes. "Did you gain weight?" She had asked. Now, in my mind, I was flailing around, dropping to my knees screaming "THEY NOTICED!" but on the outside I was like. "Yes."**

**My friend nodded, and was all like. "It's not really noticeable." And I gave her a glare, and she looked down at the ground. "How much?"**

**I was like Pshhh "Not much." She gave me a pitied look and was all like, "That much?" and I was like "Twenty pounds." Let me get to the punch line now, my friend decided the best diet for me was to stop eating. I'm just like Whore, stop. I love eating. My mom has yoga, my dad fixes cars, and my brother likes plants. Me? I eat. A lot. I love food. XD I've been looking at different diets recently, and I've been asking my Biology teacher about them, and she's just like. "Down the portions. That's the best way." And I'm just like. "Glitch! I eat all the time!" and she's just like. "Well then stop sneaking food into my class, and we'll talk!" XD Any ideas on diets? **

**REVIEWS!**

**Autobot Trapjaw: XD I'd be mad too! I'd hire somebody to take him out, and then when I see him next I'd say "I see the assassin failed." Because we all know, an assassin couldn't take out Jazz. XD**

**Autobotschic: I got the line from my friend who was doing a twenty phrase challenge, and that was one of them. XD Don't they! Help would be great, seriously! I'd hate to have a good build up, and then the action scene be really sucky. XD Do it! That would be awesome!**

**Anonymous BW FG: XD He is! Every Prime is secretly a smart aft! I read your starscream one, and it was Amazing! I laughed my aft off! I had to get somebody to sew it back on though! XD**

**Guest: I'm sorry! Yes, they are. I didn't mean to confuse anybody. There was a time gap between the chapter before last, and the next one. SORRY!**

**Bee4ever: Yes she does! XD Optimus can cool anybody's nerves. **

* * *

Shadow Stalker sighed as she signed another data pad. She let out a squeak as the vent cover above her helm was kicked down, and a dark green femme flipped out of the ventilation system, landing with a metallic thump. "Frag! Can you special ops be normal for once?"

The green femme smirked. "No." The femme giggled at Shadow Stalker. "We can't. That would make us normal. What about Normal ops scare people?"

Covenant was the femme's designation. She was infiltration expert of the femmes, and currently trying to freak the frag out of Red Alert. Whatever she was doing, it was working.

"You obviously have something to talk about. What is it?" Shadow Stalker sighed.

Covenant frowned. "The…favor… you asked of me."

Shadow Stalker's optics narrowed. "What about it?"

"At first it seemed like the Ironblazer mech you wanted me to search for had fallen right off of Cybertron. I couldn't find him anywhere, but he showed up on my radar again."

"When and Where?"

Covenant shook her helm. "I don't think I should tell you."

Shadow Stalker glared, and rose off of her chair. "Tell me."

Covenant stood silent. She knew better than to challenge her commanding officer, but something just screamed not to tell. "I cannot."

Shadow Stalker's glare intensified. "Tell me and I won't rip your spark out."

Covenant snorted. "I doubt you could find my spark." Covenant quickly jumped back into the ventilation system.

"Fragging glitch!" Shadow Stalker screamed up at the vents. Who knew the next time she would see that femme. She was such a recluse; it was a miracle she located her in the first place. Well, Covenant had found her anyways.

Shadow Stalker groaned as Chromia walked in. "What's wrong with you?"

"Covenant won't give me information."

Chromia snorted. "It's easier to get a Decepticon to become an Autobot than get that femme to tell you what you want to know. She has the best at spark though."

"She said I would have to find her spark before I could rip it out."

Chromia stared blankly at Shadow Stalker. "I told you to stop threatening the soldiers."

"What did she mean?"

Chromia shook her helm. "She had her spark chamber removed. She has it kept somewhere. I would think it was with Ratchet cause he doesn't seem to yell at her all the time, but then again, he might have just given up on that one."

Shadow Stalker looked disgusted. "So, she is sparkless."

Chromia shrugged. "Who knows? Anyways, what kind of info did you need?"

Shadow Stalker eyed Chromia wearily. "Who cares?"

* * *

Optimus groaned as Jazz walked into his office with another gender swap proposal that he would no doubt deny. "Jazz."

"Optimus."

"What can I do for you?"

Jazz slid the data pad over to Optimus. "Ah'm just saying, if I was a femme, half the decaorn, it wouldn't affect any of my duties."

"Jazz, you lost the privilege to gender swaps already. I'm not giving them back."

"Aw! Come on! How did ah lose the privilege?"

"When you asked Ratchet to do it for you, and when he did, you decided to go around seducing the other officers." Optimus answered.

Jazz sighed. "Ah didn't just seduce the officers."

"And the other femmes, and Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Prowl, Powerglide, Silverbolt, Jetstorm. Shall I go on?"

Jazz smirked. "Please."

"Grimlock, Swoop, First aid, Inferno, Hound, Trailbreaker, Tracks, and last but not least, Trapjaw."

"Ah think ya forgot a few."

Optimus stared at Jazz unimpressed. "No, I just felt that I didn't need to say the whole base by name."

Jazz shrugged. "Ah get aro-" A vent cover crashed down on Jazz's helm as a femme flipped out. "Ow." Jazz mumbled as he rubbed his helm.

The femme gave a salute to Optimus before she began speaking. "I think you should know that Shadow Stalker has asked me to look into a mech designated Ironblazer."

"Ironblazer?" Optimus seemed surprised.

The femme nodded. "He is a mech that used to work in Kaon. He helped train Gladiators. I have located him, but I don't feel that it would be a good idea to tell Shadow Stalker his whereabouts."

Optimus nodded. "Thank you for telling me…"

"Covenant."

Jazz smirked at the designation. "That was a fun night awhile back."

"I would like to warn you, that I don't do that for every femme that asks, but thank you for asking me." The femme winked at Jazz as she jumped back into the vents.

Optimus groaned. "Do I want to ask?"

"Naw, but ah think ah'm in love."

Optimus shook his helm. "I believe it is time I talked to Shadow Stalker about what's been going on."

Jazz frowned. "Just make sure, Ah'm not here." Jazz jumped trying to reach the vent, but missed by a few inches. "Frag, how does she do it?"

"Perhaps it's the heels." Optimus smirked.

Jazz sneered. " If only ah could have mine back."

"Never said you couldn't get heels." Optimus smirked.

* * *

Shadow Stalker groaned as Chromia walked in with more data pads. Chromia simply smirked. "You have more work."

"I don't wanna."

"Well you have to."

Shadow Stalker picked up the first data pad and sighed. She turned it on, and went rigid.

_Who is Ironblazer? I think we need to talk, Shadow._

_Optimus_

She stood up quickly, "I'll be right back, Chromia." She shot out of the door like Blurr running at a jog.

"Wai- Frag it! I'm not doing your work! Not again!" Chromia groaned as she sat down at the desk. "I'll just Frag Ironhide in here then. Take that, Lazy aft." ::Chromia to Ironhide::

::Hello, beautiful::

::Shadow Stalker's office. Now! Chromia out::

* * *

Shadow Stalker sped through the halls, she skidded around a corner, and rammed smack dab into somebody. "Frag!"

"Where are you going so fast?" Trapjaw glared at Shadow Stalker in her beast mode.

Shadow Stalker stood up. "Optimus."

Trapjaw raised an optic ridge. "What, is his office clear? Are you two planning to do something that desks are not designed for?"

Shadow Stalker's optics widened. "You're insane!"

Trapjaw smirked. "What? It's completely natural to have needs that you feel you are unable to meet for yourself. If you think Optimus can do it, go at it!"

"Trapjaw!"

"What?"

Shadow Stalker glared. "HOT ROD!" She yelled as she stormed down the hall again.

Trapjaw sat in the hall staring straight ahead. "Ho- Wh- Who- N- Ah… YOU'RE SO DEAD!"

Shadow Stalker smiled as she continued running. All she had to do was find out who Hot Rod was.

Shadow Stalker huffed as she stood in front of Optimus's office. She didn't want to seem like she raced all the way there, that would be slightly suspicious."

"Shadow Stalker, What are you doing?"

Shadow Stalker jumped at Prowl. "Frag it, Prowl!"

"Did you and Optimus just finish doing something I don't want to know about?"

"What? No! I just got here. I was with Chromia an-"

"Did you and Chromia just finish doing something I might want to know about?"

Shadow Stalker punched Prowl's arm. "Shut up! I ran all the way here, because Optimus wanted to see me, but I though it would be suspicious if I walked in huffing and puffing like that. Jeez."

Prowl smirked. "Of course. I'll be opening the door, and if Optimus is offline on, at, or near his desk, I'm going to know you are lying." The door opened.

Low and behold, Optimus, recharging at his desk. Shadow Stalker glared as Prowl raised an optic ridge. "What have you two been doing in here?"

"OPTIMUS!" Shadow Stalker screamed.

Optimus jumped. "What?"

"Your second thinks we've been doing… things in here."

Optimus raised an optic ridge. "We do generally do things in here, yes."

Prowl smirked. "I caught Shadow Stalker huffing and puffing outside your door, and I walk into your office, and what do I see? You offline at your desk, what else am I supposed to believe?"

Optimus's optics widened. "Not like that, Prowl!"

Prowl smirked. "Of course not. I brought you more work to add to the pile you already have going."

Optimus sighed. "Thanks, Prowl."

Prowl nodded. "I'll be going. Don't do anything Jazz wouldn't approve of."

"Jazz approves of everything."

Prowl smirked. "Exactly." The door shut behind him.

Shadow Stalker turned to Optimus. "You're going to need a new second in command after I'm done with Prowl."

Optimus smirked. "You'll have to beat me to him."

Shadow Stalker smiled. "I will." She sighed as she sat down on Optimus's couch. "It's always been so relaxing in here."

"You are avoiding the subject of what I called you in here for. Who is Ironblazer?"

Shadow Stalker frowned. "Something I don't want to talk about."

"Shadow, I want to know."

"Use one servo for slag, and the other for things you get that you wanted. Now, which one fills up quicker?"

"Shadow, I'm not joking. Is Ironblazer the Decepticon that got a lucky hit in?"

Shadow Stalker glared at Optimus. "I don't want to talk about it!"

"Shadow." Optimus stood up, his tone was serious. "Tell me. I know you've been looking into him, and I don't like it. Who is he?"

Shadow Stalker shook her helm. "I don't want to talk about it. It's part of the past."

Optimus sat down next to Shadow Stalker, and pulled her close. "Please, Shadow."

"I really don't want to. He's… nobody."

"It doesn't sound like it, Shadow."

"I thought he was gone, but he came back. He was…"

"Shadow, how do you know him?"

"He was my teacher." Shadow Stalker shook her helm. "No, he was my master. He created the monster I am."

"You're not a monster."

"But I was. I still see it in my dreams. The sword stabbing right through the mech, the energon running down on my face, Ironblazer clapping from the sidelines."

Optimus brought Shadow Stalker closer. "Shadow, it's just a dream."

"No." Shadow Stalker shook her helm. "It's a memory. A sad, sad memory. I don't want to go back to that."

Optimus nodded. "I know."

Shadow Stalker stared straight ahead. "I'm going to offline him, Optimus."

"Shadow, revenge is not the answer."

"It's not revenge. It's conquering."

"Shadow, it's the same thing."

"No, it's not."

Optimus shook his helm. "It is. It's all the same thing. You can't do it. I understand he caused you pain, but hunting him down, and murdering him is not the answer."

"You're right. I'm sorry." Shadow Stalker hugged Optimus. "I don't know what I was thinking. I have work, Optimus, and knowing Chromia, she's probably not doing anything productive." Shadow Stalker stood up and flashed Optimus a smile. She slowly left the room.

The doors closed, and Shadow Stalker glared at the opposite wall. "He's right. It's not the answer, it's the only way to get things done right." Shadow Stalker walked down the hall determined to find Covenant.

* * *

Optimus stared worriedly at the door. That wasn't good. Shadow Stalker agreed with him. "She's upset."

"Would you like me to follow her?"

Optimus jumped, and twisted around to see the green femme from earlier. "Covenant?"

"Yes."

"I believe giving her space is the best thing to do." Optimus sighed. "Please stop using th-" The femme was already gone. "- the vents." Optimus sighed. "Femme's. They're going to offline me one day."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Whoo! Super long chapter, second to last one too! There's an epilogue up next! I would like to thank Autobotschic, and Trapjaw again for letting me use their OCs. I would also like to thank Autobotschic for the help with the battle scene, and letting me write this story for her! YOU'RE AWESOME! **

**Thank you everybody for reading and reviewing. The support is AMAZING!**

**I ended up really liking the character for Covenant. She may even get her own story. Maybe.**

**REVIEWS!**

**Autobot Trapjaw: XD They're so loveable though! XD I didn't think about her being a Halo reference, but now that you mention it, she does seem like a female master cheif! XD Me and brother played the co-op for Halo four, and it was awesome. That was the first halo game I had ever played.**

**Autobotschic: XD Shadow Stalker would get there first! She might accidently knock him through a wall too! XD I wanna read it! XD I can only imagine Magnus's response to the whole situation. I would usually just eat, but diabetes runs in my family, and I hate needles, so I start freaking out when I even think I'm going to get diabetes**

**Bee4ever: Optimus always has femme trouble. He just can't catch a break.**

* * *

Jazz walked down the hall with Optimus. The two had just gotten out of a meeting. "I do not understand her. Half the time she's upset, and the other half she acts like nothing happened." Optimus sighed.

Jazz laughed. "Shadow Stalker's just upset cause ya were right."

Optimus shook his helm. "I'm don't know what I'm going to do with her. She's been on edge lately, and with the Ark launching today, it's hard to tell what's going through her processor. Sometim-"

Jazz zoned out from Optimus talking when he spotted a green servo gesturing him to go in that direction. Jazz smirked as he walked around the corner, and felt himself be jerked into a room.

* * *

"Jazz, you've been silent for a while, is some…" Optimus glanced around. "Jazz?"

* * *

Jazz smirked at the femme as she pinned him to the wall. "Fiesty. Ah like it."

Covenant smirked. "Of course you do."

Jazz smirked. "So, we gonna have some fun in the closet?"

"Yes."

* * *

Optimus sighed as he passed the hall for the fourth time. "Where could he have gone?"

"Who ya lookin for?"

"Jazz! You disappeared." Optimus sighed when he spotted the flecks of green paint. "And you forgot to clean up."

Jazz smirked. "She's got skills, Optimus."

Optimus groaned. "Yes, that's great, but I need to find Shadow Stalker. I'm worried?"

"Bet ya just wanna have a quickie with Shadow Stalker."

Optimus felt his cooling fans kick on. Jazz smirked back at his leader. Optimus coughed. "Let's change the subject."

* * *

Trapjaw frowned when Shadow Stalker went running down the hall. "Where are you going?" She yelled out.

Shadow Stalker froze. "I have to go."

"Go where?" Trapjaw sat down, and let her tail wrap around her legs. "What could be more important than the Ark?"

"Nothing. It's personal."

"Personal my aft. You're going after Ironblazer, aren't you?"

Shadow Stalker slowly turned to face Trapjaw. "How did you…?"

"I'm not stupid. Ironblazer would be the only con to get a lucky hit in." Trapjaw sighed. "I'm not going to stop you. It's scientifically proven that if I tell you not to go, you'll go anyways. So, be careful, and come back in time catch the launch. I'll be staying here."

"You're not going?"

"Ratchet's going, and he appointed me in charge of medical care for the soldiers who won't be able to go."

"Trapjaw, I…"

"Shut up. Beat the mech's aft, and comm. Me all about it." Trapjaw transformed into her bipedal mode, and gave Shadow a hug. "And don't forget, Shadow. If you don't comeback, or you miss the launch of the ark. I'm beating the scrap out of you!"

Shadow Stalker returned the hug. "I know." She pulled away and sent a smile to Trapjaw before running down the hall again.

* * *

Shadow Stalker's optics glanced around the area. It was a dark place, a fitting place for a bot to lose their life. An area surrounded on three sides by cliffs. Neither one of them were getting out of this until the other was offline.

Shadow Stalker felt her rage boil when her optics landed on the mech she was looking for. Ironblazer stood at the end of the canyon with a deadly smirk, his pointed denta showing through. His helm fell to the side. "Shadow Stalker, I've been waiting on you."

"Too bad you haven't offlined waiting, tin can." Shadow Stalker pulled out her energon sword.

"Impatient, as always. I thought I had taught you that patience was important when fighting." Ironblazer stood still.

Shadow Stalker let out a cry as she charged forward. "You're dead!"

Ironblazer smirked, he quickly moved to the side, causing Shadow Stalker to hit the wall behind him. "Reminds me of the old days, youngling."

Shadow Stalker growled as she leaped up. Her blade readied. "Don't call me that!" She charged again.

Ironblazer's sword was out in an instant as he blocked Shadow Stalker's blade with ease. Shadow Stalker pushed her blade forward, but Ironblazer matched her force, The blades seem to be forever in a power deadlock.

Ironblazer smirked as pushed back with more force. Shadow Stalker grunted as she tried to match the power, but failed, and jumped back to dodge the slicing motion the blade made. Ironblazer laughed. "How weak you have become. There was time when we were almost equals, but this gap between us now, is far greater than I suspected!"

"You're senile!"

Ironblazer stopped laughing. "Senile? I believe I out power you."

"Yeah, but do you out smart me?"

"I taught you."

* * *

Optimus was getting nervous. The Ark was going to launch, bots were still being boarded, and Shadow Stalker was nowhere to be seen. Optimus walking into the medical bay where Ratchet was packing medical supplies. Trapjaw was helping with inventory.

"Trapjaw, may I speak to you?"

Trapjaw turned, and nodded. She transformed into her beast mode, walked up to Optimus. "What's up?"

"Have you seen Shadow Stalker?"

Trapjaw nodded. "She went to visit the Iacon library. You know how she is. She gets attached, and needs a final goodbye."

Optimus graoned. "She went after the mech."

"What? How did you get that from she went to the library?" Trapjaw yelled.

"She and I went to the library yesterday. She took a piece of the rubble with her."

Trapjaw cursed. "Optimus, this isn't something you can get involved in. It's all Shadow Stalker's. I will repeat myself. Shadow Stalker can handle it."

Optimus sighed. "I can't delay the launch because of her."

"She understands that."

Optimus shook his helm. "I told her not to go."

* * *

Shadow Stalker growled. Her optics flared with anger as she raised her blade again. Ironblazer smiled as she once again ran at him. His smile only grew as he punched her in the abdomen.

Shadow Stalker cried out in pain as the force hit her with more intensity than she imagined it would. She fell to the ground, dropping her sword.

Ironblazer threw his sword aside, as he kicked Shadow Stalker's sword out of the way, and brought his face up to Shadow Stalkers. "I'm sorry. Did I hurt you? Poor sparkling." He brought his pede down on Shadow Stalker's helm. Stomping as hard as he could. His smile only grew when Shadow Stalker grunted. "I'm sorry, was that your helm?"

Shadow Stalker reached out, and grabbed his ankle. "Stop it!"

Ironblazer glared down at her. "Let go."

Shadow Stalker yanked on Ironblazer's ankle. He fell with grunt, and Shadow Stalker was immediately on top of him. She reeled back her fist, and brought it down on his face. "Did you like it?" She punched again. "Did you like tying me up like an animal?" Again. "Did you enjoy setting me up for your own gain? Putting me in the pit to earn you money?"

Shadow Stalker was shoved off Ironblazer as he stood up. "Is that so wrong? To enjoy those things?" He wiped energon away from his lip components. "Was it so wrong to enjoy setting up such a weak youngling to do my bidding?"

Shadow Stalker stood up. Her optics never left Ironblazer as the two began circling each other. Ironblazer was first to attack. His fist came at Shadow Stalker, blurring as it whooshed by her face.

Shadow Stalker smirked. All she had to do was back the mech up far enough so she grab her sword. She charged. Ironblazer back flipped away. A smirked graced his lip components. "You're an idiot." He bent down, and grabbed the sword. "I would think you would have realized I would have a chance to grab it instead."

Shadow Stalker cursed herself. Ironblazer laughed, and brought the sword up close to his faceplates. "This is a fine sword. Did Prime give it to you?"

"Don't talk about him!" Shadow Stalker growled.

Ironblazer laughed. "Oh? Are you in love with him?" Shadow Stalker sneered at Ironblazer, her optics on fire as she glared. Ironblazer laughed harder. "You are! Monsters shouldn't be allowed to love."

Ironblazer charged at Shadow Stalker. He sliced the sword across her arm.

Shadow Stalker grunted, and instinctively grabbed her bleeding arm. She hissed as she touched the cut.

Ironblazer watched Shadow Stalker carefully, ready for anything she might try to pull.

"I'm the monster?"

Ironblazer raised his guard down. He wasn't expecting her talk so calmly. "Yes."

Shadow Stalker laughed as she let her servo fall from her arm. "It's me?" She laughed harder.

Ironblazer watched her. He felt his spark speed up as she suddenly stopped.

"YOU'RE THE MONSTER!" Shadow Stalker ripped out her blaster, and shot several blasts. Each harder to dodge than the last. Shadow Stalker shook her helm as she slowly stepped closer to the mech she hated.

Ironblazer's optics narrowed as he stepped back. His sword out in front of him, ready to stab at any moment. Shadow Stalker's optics met his in glare full of hatred. Her blaster raised up as she got ever closer, and he backed away ever farther.

Ironblazer took a chance. A chance that would save a few astrokliks of his life. He threw the sword like a javelin.

Shadow Stalker screeched as it pierced her shoulder. She winced as she pulled it out, and threw it aside. The sword bounced and slid across the ground. Shadow Stalker raised the blaster back up.

Ironblazer began backing up again. His optics widened as he hit the cliff's side. Shadow Stalker smirked wildly. The blaster tinked against Ironblazer's chest. "Beg for mercy."

Ironblazer intakes had quickened. "No."

"BEG!" Shadow Stalker shoved the blaster against his chest again. "Beg like an animal!"

Ironblazer shook his helm. "No."

Shadow Stalker sneered at him. She readied herself to pull the trigger, as Ironblazer began to speak again. "You're just going to prove how much of a monster you are by killing me."

Shadow Stalker froze. "I'm not a monster!" She used the blaster hit him on the side of the helm. She grabbed his helm, and slammed it against the side of the cliff, letting him fall to the ground. Ironblazer groaned as he tried to get up, only to be pinned down by Shadow Stalker's pede against his chest.

Shadow Stalker pointed the blaster to his helm. "Beg."

"How many times are you going to tell me to beg before you offline me?"

"None. Say your goodbyes."

"You are nothing but a monster." Shadow Stalker pulled the trigger. The blast hit Ironblazer's helm, leaving a gaping hole right in the center.

"…_nothing but a monster."_

Shadow Stalker fell to the ground. She looked up to the sky, and frowned.

* * *

"Optimus, we don't have to go." Ironhide frowned. "If we stay any longer, it won't turn out good."

"Alright." Optimus nodded. "It's time to go."

The engines of the Ark fired up. The ship vibrated for a couple of seconds before the thrusters kicked on, forcing the ship up.

"OPTIMUS!"

Optimus jumped when he spotted Shadow Stalker running along the side of a cliff. "Open the doors!" Optimus ran up to the door as it opened. "Shadow, jump!"

Shadow Stalker sent a nod as she sped up, and leaped from the edge. Optimus leaned out of the Ark, and caught her servo, lifting her up into the ship. The two fell to the ground, and stared at each other as the doors slid shut.

"Optimus, I'm sorry. I know you didn't want me to, but I had no choice it-"

"You always have a choice, Shadow. You may have made a wrong choice this time, but hope when you face a choice like this again, you'll go for the higher of the two roads."

Shadow Stalker nodded. "Yeah."

Optimus sighed. "As soon as we get the chance, we're bonding."

Shadow Stalker stared at the wall, a blank expression on her face.

Optimus smirked. "Are you alright."

"We're going to get bonded."

Optimus smiled. "Yes. You're hurt."

"I'm with Primus."

"I'll get Ratchet." Optimus stood up, leaving Shadow Stalker on the ground.

Shadow Stalker stared at the floor as Ratchet walked up to her. "Come on. Medical bay for you."

"Sir! We have Decepticons!"

Shadow Stalker squeaked as Ratchet pulled her up, and pushed her into the medical bay. He began working on quick patches. "If something bad happens. These should hold for a while. They'll hold even longer if you stay the frag still!"

Shadow Stalker smiled. "Like pit."

"That's what I was thinking." Ratchet groaned.

Shadow Stalker smiled as she ran out of the Med bay. She glared as Optimus stood in front of the ship trying to get it back in control.

"Optimus! G-forces are bringing us down!" Prowl yelled.

"What the frag? I just get out here, and this what's going on?" The ship began shaking. "Oh slag!" Shadow Stalker flinched as she hit the ground, and the whole ship began rocking.

All she remembered doing was reaching for Optimus before everything went black.


	14. Epilogue

**A/N: The epilogue! OHHH NOOOO! It's the end... I'm kind of sad...**

**I made a nice Facebook for mahself. Thanks to Autobot Trapjaw! XD It's just for me as a writer, maybe it'll help cut some of these long Author notes out of the way? I was looking at some of them, and they were almost as long as the chapters XD  
**

**Let's see how Shadow Stalker is doing huh?  
**

**REVIEWS!  
**

**Abyss Prime: Thanks!  
**

**Anonymous BW FG: XD it was great! Prowl needs to learn who is a bad influence and who isn't!  
**

**Fight the Fighter: XD I do! I couldn't help myself! XD Yeah, I was kind of iffy on it so I had Autobotschic read it for me, and she said it was awesome, so I went with it! I was going to delete it! No, he isn't... such a negatron!  
**

**Autobot Trapjaw: I don't own an X-box so I have to go to my brother's house to play it! XD I use him... I use him so much...  
**

**Autobotschic: I am notorious for killing people off, arent I? XD I was thinking about writing a one shot with Shadow Stalker and Unicronia, maybe see if it helps with my writers block on that story. XD No, you're the AWESOMEST one! XD  
**

* * *

It had been awhile since the Autobots had crashed, and woke up on the strange planet Earth. Since then, they had met with the Earth's natives, Humans, which Shadow Stalker had almost stepped on in more than many occasions.

One of the humans was named Spike. Shadow Stalker _tried_ to step on this one. She enjoyed the squeak he made. Of course Prowl usually sent her a death glare afterwards, but hey! Slag happens. Plus the little guy was still running around, so it wasn't like she succeeded yet!

Optimus and she had gotten bonded. It only took four million earth years of being in stasis, the decpeticons waking up first, and the Autobots having to stop them from terrorizing the the human race. Shadow Stalker was mostly on monitor duty these days. She had been constantly monitoring (breaking) Teletraan One.

Ratchet currently stood behind Shadow Stalker and glared as he watched every movement she made. "Break Teletraan again, and I'll break you."

Shadow Stalker laughed. "Have you ever been part of a mafia or something?"

Ratchet frowned. "I do not feel obligated to tell you such personal aspects of my life."

Shadow Stalker's mouth fell open. "You were!"

Ratchet remained silent. His optics never left the screen, as he effectively ignored her.

"And this is Teletraan one!" Spike walked in with a blonde haired girl at his side. Bumblebee was following close after. Shadow Stalker glanced back and sent Spike a creepy smile. Spike backed up a little. "Um, that's Ratchet."

"Hello. I am Carly!" The blonde waved.

Ratchet nodded back as he sat down.

"Who's the other one, Spike?"

Spike stared down at the floor, and Shadow Stalker stood up. "I am Shadow Stalker."

Carly looked over to Spike, and back to Shadow Stalker. "May I ask a question?"

Shadow Stalker shrugged. "Go for it."

"Are you a girl?"

Ratchet started laughing as Shadow Stalker's optics widened. "WHAT?"

"I didn't mean it like that! I mean, you look like a girl, but I don't know if the Autobots even have girls. I've never seen one."

Ratchet smirked. "Shadow Stalker would be the only femme on Earth."

"Femme?"

"We don't have genders." Shadow Stalker smirked as she stood up, and walked off, not sticking around to have to explain.

Optimus, catching onto her mischief through the bond, nudged her end of the bond. It was his signal to let her know he knew what she was doing.

Shadow Stalker sent a nudge of her own, signaling she knew that he knew, but didn't care. She smirked as she walked through the Ark, and up to Optimus's new office. "Come in, Shadow."

"Don't mind if I do." Shadow smiled as the door opened, and she walked in. "Spike brought a new human on base. I think that's enough to let me squish him."

"That's my son you're talking about!"

Shadow Stalker jumped and looked down at the ground. "Optimus, you have a rodent!"

Optimus sighed. "Shadow."

Shadow Stalker smiled. "Optimus."

"Are you sure she isn't a Decepticon?" The human frowned.

Shadow Stalker sneered at him. "If I was a Decepticon, I would have used your planets mantel to get energy, and fly back to Cybertron by now."

Optimus sighed. "Shadow Stalker, why are you here?"

"I don't know. I like to think Primus enjoys my sarcasm, and he chose to keep me around for entertainment."

Optimus sighed. "That is not what I meant. Sparkplug, I am sorry, but I think we have to cut the conversation short."

The human nodded. "Sure thing, not like it was important." Sparkplug sighed as he left the room.

Optimus glanced over to Shadow Stalker. "That is why you can't fight the Decepticons at the moment."

"I haven't killed a human yet."

"Yet, being the key word." Optimus sighed as he sat down. "I wish you would try to be friendly with the humans."

"I do try. They just don't understand my sarcastic personality. That and they see me, and think I'm a Decepticon."

"They do not think you are a Decepticon, Shadow."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"They why did that big group of people start throwing stuff at me?"

Optimus sighed. "I told you. You destroyed their homes."

Shadow Stalker snorted. "And I saved their fragging lives."

Optimus rolled his optics. "I know that."

Shadow Stalker shook her helm. "Earth and I just aren't meant to be."

Optimus shook his helm. "You are being over dramatic."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Shadow Stalker bent over Optimus's desk, and gave him a kiss. "Love you."

Optimus smirked as he leaned back. "What can I do for you, Spike?"

Shadow Stalker jumped, and looked behind her. Spike stood with Carly, eyes wide, staring at the two."Humans really need to wear a bell or something! Primus!"

"You two are…"

Shadow Stalker bent down to get on level with Spike. "We are bonded."

"What does…"

Optimus chuckled as he stood up. "I am not sure how to explain it."

Carly smiled. "It's like dating, right?"

"A little deeper than that."

"Married?"

Optimus looked up the term, and nodded. "That would be as close as it gets I suppose."

"You're married to the demon woman?!" Spike yelled.

Shadow Stalker mouth fell open, and she released a growl. "THE HUMAN'S DEAD!"

Optimus sighed as Spike started running, and Shadow Stalker played their usual game of cat and mouse. "I am Optimus Prime."

"Carly." The blond smiled.


End file.
